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THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


P592 

.C399 
1880 


This  book  is  due  at  the  LOUIS  R.  WILSON  LIBRARY  on  the 
last  date  stamped  under  "Date  Due."  If  not  on  hold  it  may  be 
renewed  by  bringing  it  to  the  library. 

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A   PLEASANT  ENCOUNTER. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/pioneerlifefrontOOpete 


PIONEEE    LIFE 


AND 


FRONTIER  ADVENTURES. 

AN  AUTHENTIC   RECORD   OF  THE  ROMANTIC  LIFE 
AND  DARING  EXPLOITS  OF 

KIT  CAKSCOT  A^D  HIS  COMPANIONS 


FROM  HIS   OWN  NARRATIVE. 


•A 


By  DEWITT   C.   PETERS, 
Brevet  Lieutenant- Colonel  and  Surgeon  U.  S.  A. 


BOSTON : 
ESTES     AND    LAURIAT. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1873,  by 

DUSTIN,   GlLMAX,    &   Co., 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1876,  by 

Samuel  Walker  &  Co., 
in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 

Copyright,  1880, 
By  Estes  and  Lacriat. 


University  Press  : 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge. 


Taos,  New  Mexico. 

This  is  to  certify,  that  my  friend,  De  Witt  C.  Peters, 
Brevet  Lieutenant  -  Colonel  and  Surgeon,  United  States 
Army,  is  the  only  person  I  ever  authorized  to  write  my 
life. 


4s6> 


asi£ 


Brigadier   LreneraL    U.  S.    Vols. 


Fernandez  de  Taos,  New  Mexico. 

We,  the  undersigned,  citizens  of  the  Territory  of  New 
Mexico,  were  acquainted  with  Mr.  Christopher  Carson,  almost 
from  the  time  of  his  first  arrival  in  the  country.  We  were 
his  companions  both  in  the  mountains  and  as  private  citizens. 
We  are  also  acquainted  with  the  fact,  that  for  months,  during 
his  leisure  hours,  he  was  engaged  dictating  his  life.  This  is, 
to  our  certain  knowledge,  the  only  authentic  biography  of  him- 
self and  his  travels,  that  has  ever  been  written.  We  heartily 
recommend  this  book  to  the  reading  community  for  perusal, 
as  it  presents  a  life  out  of  the  usual  routine  of  business,  and 
is  checkered  with  adventures  which  have  tried  this  bold  and 
daring  man.  We  are  cognizant  of  the  details  of  the  book, 
and  vouch  for  their  accuracy. 

Very  respectfully, 


THE  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 


The  pages  here  presented  to  the  public  form  a  book  of 
facts.  They  unfold  for  the  student,  as  does  no  other  work 
yet  extant,  the  great  interior  wilderness  of  the  Territories  be- 
longing to  the  United  States.  The  scenic  views,  though 
plainly  colored  and  wrought  by  the  hand  of  an  unpretending 
artist,  inasmuch  as  they  portray  a  part  of  the  North  American 
continent  which  is  unsurpassed  by  any  other  country  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  will  not  fail  to  interest  the  American  pub- 
lic. In  addition  to  this,  the  reader  is  introduced  to  an  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  the  Indian  races  of  the  countries 
which  lie  east  and  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  savage 
warrior  and  hunter  is  presented,  stripped  of  all  the  deco- 
rations with  which  writers  of  fiction  have  dressed  him.  He 
is  seen  in  his  ferocity  and  gentleness,  in  his  rascality  and 
nobility,  in  his  boyhood,  manhood,  and  old  age,  and  in  his 
wisdom  and  ignorance.  The  attentive  reader  will  learn  of 
his  approximations  to  truth,  his  bundle  of  superstitions,  his 
acts  at  home  and  on  the  war-path,  his  success  while  follow- 
ing the  buffalo,  and  engaging  the  wild  Rocky  Mountain  bear, 
that  terror  of  the  western  wilderness.  He  will  also  behold 
him  carrying  devastation  to  the  homes  of  the  New  Mexican 
settlers,  and  freely  spilling  their  best  blood  to  satiate  a  savage 
revenge.  He  will  see  him  attacking  and  massacring  parties 
of  white  men  traveling  across  the  prairies,  and  trace  him  in 
his  savage  wars  with  the  early  settlers  and  frontiersmen. 

In  order  to  acquire  these  important  data,  that  they  might 
be  added  to  the  pages  of  American  history  and  form  a  reli- 


VU1  THE    AUTHOR  S    PREFACE. 

able  record,  it  was  necessary  that  some  brave,  bold  and  deter- 
mined man  should  become  an  actor  on  the  scenes  and  among 
the  races  described.  Such  an  actor  has  been  Christopher  Car- 
son, the  Nestor  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  and,  it  is  the  expe- 
rience, as  well  as  the  acts  of  his  stirring  life,  which  the  fol- 
lowing pages  present. 

In  olden  times  there  existed,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  a 
race  familiarly  known  by  the  name  of  "  Trappers  and  Hunt- 
ers." They  are  now  almost  extinct.  Their  history  has  not 
yet  been  written.  Pen  paintings,  drawn  from  the  imagina- 
tion, founded  upon  distant  views  of  their  exploits  and  adven- 
tures, have  occasionally  served,  as  do  legends,  to  "  adorn  a 
tale."  The  volume  now  offered  to  the  public,  gives  their 
history  as  related  by  one  whose  name,  as  a  trapper  and  hunter 
of  the  "  Far  West,"  stood  second  to  none  ;  by  a  man  who, 
for  fifteen  years,  saw  not  the  face  of  a  white  woman,  or  slept 
under  a  roof;  who,  during  those  long  years,  with  his  rifle 
alone,  killed  thousands  upon  thousands  of  buffalo,  deer,  ante- 
lope, bears  and  elk,  wild  turkeys,  prairie  chickens,  etc.,  etc., 
in  numbers  beyond  calculation.  On  account  of  their  origi- 
nality, daring  and  interest,  the  real  facts  concerning  this  race 
of  trappers  and  hunters,  will  be  handed  down  to  posterity  as 
matters  belonging  to  history. 

As  is  the  case  with  the  Indian,  the  race  of  the  "  Simon 
Pure  Trapper  "  is  nearly  run.  The  advance  of  civilization, 
keeping  up  its  untiring  march  to  the  westward,  is  daily  en- 
croaching upon  their  wild  haunts,  and  bringing  the  day  close 
at  hand  when  warrior  and  trapper  will  depart  forever  to  their 
"  Happy  Hunting  Grounds." 

With  the  extinction  of  the  great  fur  companies,  the  trap- 
pers of  "  Olden  Time,"  disbanded  and  separated. 

The  greatest  number  of  these  men,  to  be  found  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  reside  in  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico,  which,  in  the 
time  of  their  prosperity,  was  the  country  where  they  located 
their  head-quarters.  In  this  Territory,  Christopher  Carson 
resided.  His  name,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  has  been  famil- 
iarly known  for  nearly  half  a  century  ;  and,  from  its  associa- 


THE    AUTHOR  S    PEEFACE.  IX 

tion  with  the  names  of  great  explorers  and  military  men,  is 
now  spread  throughout  the  civilized  world.  It  has  been  gen- 
erally conceded,  and  the  concession  has  become  strengthened 
by  time,  that  no  small  share  of  the  benefits  derived  from  these 
explorations  and  campaigns,  as  well  as  the  safety  of  the  com- 
mands themselves,  was  due  to  the  sagacity,  skill,  experience, 
advice  and  labor,  of  Christopher  Carson. 

His  sober  habits,  strict  honor,  and  great  regard  for  truth, 
endeared  him  to  all  who  called  him  friend ;  and,  among  such, 
may  be  enumerated  names  belonging  to  some  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished men,  whose  deeds  are  recorded  on  the  pages  of 
American  history.  His  past  life  was  a  mystery  which  this 
book  will  unveil.  Instead  of  Kit  Carson  as  by  imagination — 
a  bold  braggart,  and  reckless,  improvident  hero  of  the  rifle—- 
he  will  appear  a  retired  man,  and  one  who  was  very  reserved 
in  his  intercourse  with  others. 

It  is  years  since  the  writer  of  this  work  first  met  Christo- 
pher Carson.  It  needed  neither  a  second  introduction,  nor 
the  assistance  of  a  friendly  panegyric,  to  enable  him  to  dis- 
cover in  Christopher  Carson  those  traits  of  manhood,  which 
are  esteemed  by  the  great  and  good  to  be  distinguishing 
ornaments  of  character.  This  acquaintance  ripened  into 
a  friendship  of  the  purest  stamp,  and  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  the  writer  was  the  intimate  friend  and  companion  of 
Carson,  at  his  home,  in  the  wild  scenes  of  the  chase,  on  the 
war  trail,  and  upon  the  field  of  battle.  For  a  long  period,  in 
common  with  hundreds,  and,  we  might  with  truth  add,  thou- 
sands, the  writer  desired  to  see  Christopher  Carson's  wonderful 
career  made  public  for  the  world  of  readers ;  but,  while  this 
idea  was  germinating  in  his  brain,  he  did  not,  for  an  instant, 
flatter  himself  that  the  pleasant  task  would  ever  be  assigned  to 
him.  Finally,  however,  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  many 
personal  friends,  Christopher  Carson  dictated  the  facts  upon 
which  this  book  is  written.  They  were  placed  in  the  writer's 
hands,  with  instructions  to  add  to  them  such  information  as 
had  fallen  under  his  observation,  during  a  long  and  intimate 
acquaintance  with  Kit  Carson,  and  during  extensive  travels 


X  THE    AUTHOR  S    PREFACE. 

over  a  large  part  of  the  wide  expanse  of  country,  which  has 
been  Carson's  theatre  for  action. 

Owing  to  unfortunate  circumstances,  however,  the  work 
has  been  kept  out  of  the  market,  until  the  urgent  demands 
of  the  hundreds  of  admirers  of  the  world-renowned  "  Kit," 
for  an  authentic  history  of  his  life  and  adventures,  has  encour- 
aged the  author  to  place  the  work  before  the  public  in  its 
present  form. 

The  book  is  a  book  of  solid  truth  ;  therefore,  the  faults  in 
the  style,  arrangement  and  composition,  become  affairs  of 
minor  consideration.  For  this  reason,  the  writer  makes  no 
apologies  to  embarrass  the  critics. 

Christopher  Carson,  physically,  was  small  in  stature,  but 
of  compact  frame-work.  He  had  a  large  and  finely  developed 
head,  a  twinkling  gray  eye,  and  hair  of  a  sandy  color,  which 
he  wore  combed  back  a  la  Franklin  mode.  His  education 
having  been  much  neglected  in  his  youth,  he  was  deficient  in 
theoretical  learning.  By  natural  abilities,  however,  he  greatly 
compensated  for  this  defect.  He  spoke  the  French  and  Span- 
ish languages  fluently,  besides  being  a  perfect  master  of  sev- 
eral Indian  dialects.  In  Indian  customs,  their  manners,  habits, 
and  the  groundwork  of  their  conduct,  no  man  on  the  Ameri- 
can continent  was  better  skilled. 

The  writer,  while  on  a  foreign  tour,  once  had  the  opportu- 
nity and  pleasure  of  hearing  Gordon  dimming,  and  other 
hunters  of  less  note,  discourse  on  their  hunting  exploits  ;  fur- 
thermore, in  our  own  country,  while  seated  around  camp- 
fires  and  in  log-houses,  he  has  listened  to  the  adventures  of 
ancient  and  modern  Nimrods  in  the  chase.  Besides  these 
facts,  he  has  both  seen  and  read  much  of  hunting  exploits ; 
but  no  hunter  ever  filled  his  fancy  so  perfectly  as  did  Christo- 
pher Carson,  a  man  who  was  always  quick  to  act  and  never 
known  to  boast.  Although  he  has  passed  to  the  Happy 
Hunting  Grounds  of  eternity,  his  name  will  always  stand 
bright  in  the  annals  of  history,  as  one  that  has  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  success  of  some  of  the  greatest  and 
most  successful  exploring  expeditions  known  to  the  world. 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


A  pleasant  Encounter Frontispiece. 

TO   FACE    PAGE 

Perils  of  Frontier  Life vii 

Crossing  the  Sierra  Nevada 24 

River  Scene  in  New  Mexico 40 

Spanish  Monastery  in  California 44 

Shoshonee  Falls,  Snake  River,  Idaho 56 

The  Garden  of  the  Gods 60 

Emigrants  ox  Western  Waters 76 

Hunters  and  Trappers  in  the  West 84 

Fight  with  Grizzly  Bears 90 

Home  of  the  Grizzly  Bear 98 

Whooping  Indians 102 

Punishing  a  Braggadocio 112 

Restoration  of  Captives 116 

Upper  Falls,  Yellowstone  River 118 

Yellowstone  Lake 118 

A  Blackfeet  Warrior 128 

The  Death  Shot 136 

Long's  Peak 142 

An  Indian  War-Dance 146 

Basin  on  the  Columbia  River 154 

The  Pipe  of  Peace 166 

Kit  and  his  favorite  Horse  "Apache" 168 

Buffalo  Hunt 174 

The  first  white  Men  on  "The  Great  River" 182 

A  perilous  Passage  down  the  Platte 192 

Lake  Klamath 204 

Mining  in  Colorado 210 

Settlers  massacred  by  Indians 214 

A  bold  Attack 220 

Street  Scene  in  Taos 230 

A  Mexican  Cart 234 

The  Pueblo  of  Taos 234 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TO   *ACE  PAGE 

A  Mexican  Garden 238 

A  View  on  the  Plains 244 

Mount  Shasta 252 

A  Fight  in  the  Lava  Beds 264 

Fremont  saves  Carson's  Life 270 

Mission  at  Monterey 274 

Fremont  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 302 

Warlike  Exercises  of  the  Camanches 314 

Emigrants  attacked  by  Indians 326 

Hacienda  at  Rayado 334 

Mrs.  White  a  Captive 336 

A  terrific  Snow-storm 346 

Rio  Colorado 362 

Fine  Lands  well  watered 368 

"  Lo  !   the  poor  Indian  " 378 

Torture  a  la  Mazeppa 394 

Gold-washing  in  California 410 

A  Prairie  on  Fike 418 

An  Indian  Stronghold 426 

Mountain  Scenery 430 

Fight  with  the  Red  Skins 450 

A  Mountain  Gorge 474 

Fort  Massachusetts,  New  Mexico,  in  1855 484 

A  captive  Child  pleading  for  Mercy 490 

Thrilling  Adventure  with  an  Apache 502 

Indian  Scalp  Dance 508 

An  Indian  Village  on  the  Move 512 

Slaughter  of  the  Indians 522 

Attack  on  Wagon  Train  .     .     .     .     ; 530 

Kit  Carson's  Home  at  Taos,  New  Mexico 536 

Border  Settlers 546 

The  Navajoes  in  Camp 550 


PIONEER    LIFE 


FRONTIER    ADVENTURE. 


OHAPTEK  I. 

Carson's  Birthplace — His  Emigration  to  Missouri — Early  Prospects — Is 
an  Apprentice — Stories  of  the  Rocky  Mountains — He  Enlists  to  go 
there — Adventures  on  the  Prairies — Broader  is  Wounded — Carson's 
Nerve  put  to  the  Test — Rude  Amputation — Safe  Arrival  at  Santa  Fe — 
Goes  to  Taos  and  learns  the  Spanish  Language — Early  Vicissitudes — 
Disappointment  and  Attempt  to  return  to  Missouri — Wants  a  Woolen 
Shirt — Is  Employed  as  an  Interpreter,  Teamster,  etc. 

It  is  now  a  well-established  fact,  that  no  State  in  the 
American  Union  has  given  birth  to  so  many  distin- 
guished pioneers  and  explorers  of  its  boundless  Terri- 
tories, as  the  commonwealth  of  Kentucky.  An  author, 
whose  task  is  to  tell  of  a  hero,  his  bravery,  endurance, 
privations,  integrity,  self-denial  and  deeds  of  daring, 
carries  the  morale  with  which  to  gain  at  once  for  these 
characteristics  the  assent  of  the  reader,  by  the  simple 
assertion,  "My  hero  was  born  a  Kentuckian."  In- 
deed, in  America,  to  be  a  native  of  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky, is  to  inherit  all  the  attributes  of  a  brave  man,  a 
safe  counselor  and  a  true  friend.  It  is,  at  least,  cer- 
tain that  this  State,  whether  the  fact  is  due  to  its  in- 
land and  salubrious  climate,  or  to  its  habits  of  physical 
training,  has  added  many  a  hero  unto  humanity. 


20  EMIGRATION    TO    MISSOURI. 

Christopher  Carson,  by  his  countrymen  familiarly 
called  "  Kit  Carson,"  was  born  in  the  County  of  Madi- 
son, State  of  Kentucky,  on  the  24th  day  of  December, 
1809.  The  Carson  family  were  among  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Kentucky,  and  became  owners  of  fine  farms. 
Besides  being  an  industrious  and  skillful  farmer,  the 
father  of  Kit  Carson  was  a  celebrated  hunter.  When 
the  Indians  of  Kentucky  became  quieted  down,  put- 
ting an  end  to  the  calls  upon  his  courage  and  skill  as 
a  woodsman,  he  settled  into  a  simple,  respectable 
farmer.  This  monotonous  life  did  not  suit  his  dispo- 
sition ;  and,  as  the  tide  of  emigration  into  the  wilds 
of  Missouri  was  then  commencing,  where  both  game 
and  the  red  man  still  roamed,  he  resolved  to  migrate 
in  that  direction.  It  was  only  one  year  after  the  birth 
of  his  son  Christopher,  that  Mr.  Carson  sold  his  estate 
in  Kentucky  and  established  himself,  with  his  large 
family,  in  that  part  of  the  State  of  Missouri  now  known 
as  Howard  County.  At  this  time  Howard  County,  Mis- 
souri, was  a  wilderness,  on  the  remote  American  fron- 
tier. At  his  new  home,  the  father  was  in  his  element. 
His  reputation  of  carrying  an  unerring  rifle  and  always 
enacting  the  deeds  of  a  brave  man,  was  not  long  in  fol- 
lowing him  into  this  wilderness.  Mr.  Carson's  only 
assistant,  on  his  first  arrival  in  Howard  County,  was 
his  eldest  son,  Moses  Carson,  who  was  afterwards  set- 
tled in  the  State  of  California,  where  he  resided  twenty- 
five  years  before  the  great  California  gold  discovery 
was  made. 

For  two  or  three  years  after  arriving  at  their  new 
home,  the  Carson  family,  with  a  few  neighbors,  lived  in 
a  picketed  log  fort;  and  when  they  were  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  working  their  farms,  and  so  forth. 


A    LIFE    OF    DANGER.  21 

it  was  necessary  to  plough,  sow  and  reap  under  guard, 
men  being  stationed  at  the  sides  and  extremities  of 
their  fields  to  prevent  the  working  party  from  being 
surprised  and  massacred  by  wild  and  hostile  savages 
who  infested  the  country.  At  this  time  the  small-pox, 
that  disease  which  has  proved  such  a  terrible  scourge 
to  the  Indian,  had  but  seldom  visited  him.* 

The  incidents  which  enliven  and  add  interest  to  the 
historic  page,  have  proved  of  spontaneous  and  vigor- 
ous growth  in  the  new  settlements  of  America.  Nearly 
every  book  which  deals  with  the  early  planting  and 
progress  of  the  American  colonists  and  pioneers,  con- 
tains full,  and  frequently  glowing,  descriptions  of  ex- 
ploits in  the  forest ;  strifes  of  the  hunter ;  fights  with 
the  savages  ;  fearful  and  terrible  surprises  of  lurking 
warriors,  as  they  arouse  the  brave  settler  and  his  fam- 


*  This  disease  has  probably  been  the  worst  enemy  with  which  the  red  man  of  America 
has  had  to  contend.  By  terrible  experience  he  has  become  familiarized  with  its  ravages, 
and  has  resorted  to  the  most  desperate  remedies  for  its  cure.  Among  many  tribes,  tho 
afflicted  are  obliged  to  form  camps  by  themselves ;  and,  thus  left  alone,  they  die  by  scores. 
One  of  their  favorite  remedies,  when  the  scourge  first  makes  its  appearance,  is  to  plunge 
into  the  nearest  river,  by  which  they  think  to  purify  themselves.  This  course,  however, 
in  reality,  tends  to  shorten  their  existence.  When  the  small-pox  rages  among  the  Aborig- 
ines, a  most  unenviable  position  is  held  by  their  ''  Medicine  Man."  He  is  obliged  to  give 
a  strict  account  of  himself;  and,  if  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose  a  chief,  or  other  great  person- 
age, is  sure  to  pay  the  penalty  by  parting  with  his  own  life.  The  duties  of  the  "  Medicine 
Man  "  among  the  Indians  are  so  mixed  up  with  witchcraft  and  jugglery,  so  filled  with  the 
pretence  of  savage  quackery,  so  completely  rude  and  unfounded  as  to  principle,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  define  the  practice  for  any  useful  end.  About  five  years  since,  a  young  gen- 
tleman of  scientific  habits,  who  was  attached  to  an  exploring  party,  accidentally  became 
separated  from  his  companions.  In  his  wanderings  he  fell  in  with  a  band  of  hostile  Sioux 
Indians,  who  would  quickly  have  dispatched  him,  had  he  not  succeeded  immediately  in 
convincing  them  of  his  wonderful  powers.  It  so  happened  that  this  gentleman  was  well 
informed  in  the  theory  of  vaccination,  and  it  struck  him  that  by  impressing  on  the  sav- 
ages his  skill,  he  might  extricate  himself.  By  the  aid  of  signs,  a  lancet  and  some  virus,  he 
set  himself  to  work,  and  soon  saw  that  he  had  gained  a  reputation  which  saved  him 
his  scalp.  He  first  vaccinated  his  own  arm,  after  which  all  of  the  Indians  present  solicited 
his  magic  touch,  to  save  them  from  the  loathsome  disease.  The  result  was,  that  he  found 
he  had  enlisted  himself  in  an  active  practice.  After  a  few  days,  the  Indians  were  de- 
lighted with  the  results,  and  began  to  look  upon  their  prisoner  as  possessed  of  super- 
human knowledge.  They  feared  to  do  him  injury,  and  finally  resolved  to  let  him  go;  of 
which  privilege  it  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say,  he  was  delighted  to  avail  himself,  and 
was  not  long  in  finding  his  friends. 


22  EARLY    PROSPECTS. 

ily  from  their  midnight  dreams  by  the  wild,  death- 
announcing  war-whoop  ;  hair-breadth  escapes  from  the 
larger  kinds  of  game,  boldly  bearded  in  their  lair ;  the 
manly  courage  which  never  yields,  but  surmounts  every 
obstacle  presented  by  the  unbroken  and  boundless  for- 
est; all  these  are  subjects  and  facts  which  have  already 
so  many  counterparts  in  book-thought,  accessible  to  the 
general  reader,  that  their  details  may  be  safely  omitted 
during  the  boyhood  days  of  young  Carson.  It  is  bet- 
ter, therefore,  to  pass  over  the  youthful  period  of  his 
eventful  life,  until  he  began  to  ripen  into  manhood. 

Kit  Carson,  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  was  no  ordinary 
person.  He  had  at  this  early  age  earned,  and  well 
earned,  a  reputation,  on  the  basis  of  which  the  prediction 
was  ventured  in  his  behalf,  that  he  would  not  fail  to 
make  and  leave  a  mark  upon  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men. Those  who  knew  him  at  the  age  of  fifteen  hesi- 
tated not  to  say,  "  Kit  Carson  is  the  boy  who  will  grow 
into  a  man  of  influence  and  renown." 

The  chief  points  of  his  character  which  elicited  this 
prediction  were  thus  early  clearly  marked.  Some  of  his 
traits  were  kindness  and  good  qualities  of  heart,  deter- 
mined perseverance,  indomitable  will,  unflinching  cour- 
age, great  quickness  and  shrewdness  of  perception,  and 
prumptitude  in  execution.  The  predictions  uttered  by 
the  hardy  rangers  of  the  forest  concerning  a  boy  like 
Carson  are  seldom  at  fault ;  and  Kit  was  one  who,  by 
many  a  youthful  feat  worthy  the  muscle  of  riper  years, 
had  endeared  himself  to  their  honest  love.  It  was  among 
such  men  and  for  such  reason  that  Kit  Carson,  thus 
early  in  life,  had  won  the  influence  and  rewards  of  a 
general  favorite. 

His   frame   was  slight,  below  the    medium  stature, 


APPRENTICED    TO    A    HARNESS-MAKER.  23 

closely  knit  together,  and  endowed  with  extraordinary 
elasticity.  He  had,  even  then,  stood  the  test  of  much 
hard  usage.  What  the  body  lacked  in  strength  was 
more  than  compensated  for  by  his  indomitable  will ; 
consequently,  at  this  early  age,  he  was  considered 
capable  of  performing  a  frontier  man's  work,  both  in 
tilling  the  soil  and  handling  the  rifle. 

It  was  at  this  period  of  his  eventful  life  that  his  father, 
acting  partially  under  the  advice  of  friends,  determined 
that  his  son  Kit  should  learn  a  trade.  A  few  miles  from 
Kit's  forest  home  there  lived  a  Mr.  David  Workman,  a 
saddler.  To  him  he  was  apprenticed.  With  Mr.  Work- 
man young  Carson  remained  two  years,  enjoying  both 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  employer ;  but,  mourn- 
ing over  the  awl,  the  hide  of  new  leather,  the  buckle 
and  strap,  for  the  glorious  shade  of  the  mighty  forest, 
'Jae  wild  battle  with  buffalo  and  bear,  the  crack  of  the 
unerring  rifle,  pointed  at  the  trembling  deer.  Saddlery 
is  an  honorable  employment ;  but  saddlery  never  made 
a  greater  mistake  than  when  it  strove  to  hitch  to  its 
traces  the  bold  impulse,  the  wild  yearning,  the  sinewy 
muscle  of  Kit  Carson.  Harness-making  was  so  irksome 
to  his  ardent  temperament  and  brave  heart,  that  he 
resolved  to  take  advantage  of  the  first  favorable  oppor- 
tunity and  quit  it  forever.  With  him,  to  resolve  was  to 
act.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  stay  with  Mr.  Work- 
man, many  stories  of  adventures  in  the  Eocky  Moun- 
tains reached  the  ear  of  the  youthful  Kentuckian  in  his 
Missouri  home.  The  almost  miraculous  liyperhole  which 
flavored  the  narratives  were  not  long  in  awakening  in 
his  breast  a  strong  desire  to  share  in  such  stirring  events. 
The  venturesome  mind  at  last  became  inspired.  He 
determined  to  go  ;   and,  giving  his  restless  spirit  full 


24  ENLISTS    FOR    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 

sway,  in  1826,  joined  a  party  bound  for  his  boyish 
fancy-pictures  of  the  Elysian  Fields.  The  leader  of  this 
expedition  required  no  second  request  from  young  Car- 
son before  enrolling  his  name  on  the  company  list.  The 
hardy  woodsman  saw  stamped  upon  the  frank  and  open 
countenance  of  the  boy  who  stood  before  him  those 
sterling  qualities  which  have  since  made  his  name  a 
household  word.  These  formed  a  passport  which,  on 
the  spot,  awakened  the  respect  and  unlocked  the  hearts 
of  those  whose  companionship  he  sought. 

The  work  of  preparation  was  now  commenced  by  the 
different  parties  to  the  expedition.  All  of  the  arrange- 
ments having  been  finally  completed,  the  bold  and  hardy 
band  soon  started  upon  their  journey.  Their  route  lay 
over  the  vast  and  then  unexplored  territory,  bounded 
by  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  the  one  side  and  the  Mis- 
souri River  on  the  other.  Before  them  lay,  stretched 
out  in  almost  never-ending  space,  those  great  prairies, 
the  half  of  which  are  still  almost  unknown  to  the  white 
man.  Crossing  the  plains  in  1826  was  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent feat  from  what  it  is  at  this  day.  Then,  the  grand- 
est scheme  of  modern  enterprise  and  skill — the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad — had  not  been  dreamed  of.  The  oases 
of  the  American  Sahara  were  not  yet  acquainted  with 
the  white  man's  foot.  The  herds  of  buffaloes,  the  droves 
of  wild  horses,  knew  not  the  crack  of  the  white  man's 
rifle.  They  had  fled  only  at  the  approach  of  the  native 
Indian  warrior  and  the  yearly  fires  of  the  prairie.  It 
was  a  difficult  task  to  find  a  man  who  had  gazed  on  the 
lofty  peaks  of  the  mountain  ranges  which  formed  a  ser* 
pentine  division  of  the  vast  American  Territories,  or  who 
had  drank  the  waters  at  the  camping-places  on  the 
prairies.     The  traveler  at  that  day  was,  in  every  force 


CROSSING    THE    SIERRA    NEVADA. 


DANGEROUS    TRAVELING.  25 

of  meaning  which  the  word  extends,  literally,  an  ex- 
plorer, whose  chosen  object  was  the  task  of  a  hero. 
The  Indians  themselves  could  give  no  information  of  the 
route  beyond  the  confined  limits  of  their  hunting- ranges. 
The  path  which  this  pioneer  party  entered  was  existent 
only  in  the  imagination  of  the  book-making  geographer, 
about  as  accurate  and  useful  from  its  detail  as  the  route 
of  Baron  Munchausen  to  the  icelands  of  the  North  Pole 
on  the  back  of  his  eagle.  The  whole  expanse  of  the 
rolling  prairie,  to  those  brave  hearts,  was  one  boundless 
uncertainty.  This  language  may  possibly  be  pro- 
nounced redundant.  It  may  be  in  phrase  ;  it  is  not  in 
fact.  The  carpet-knight,  the  holiday  ranger,  the  book- 
worm explorer,  knows  but  little  of  the  herculean  work 
which  has  furnished  for  the  world  a  practical  knowledge 
of  the  western  half  of  the  North  American  continent. 
We  shall  see  in  the  progress  of  this  work  whether  the 
adventures  of  Kit  Carson  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  the 
heart  of  the  American  nation  on  the  same  shelf  with 
his  compeers. 

In  that  day,  the  fierce  red-man  chief  scoured  the 
broad  prairies,  a  petty  king  in  his  tribe,  a  ruler  of  his 
wild  domain.  Bold,  haughty,  cautious,  wily,  unrelent- 
ing, revengeful,  he  led  his  impassioned  warriors  in  the 
chase  and  to  battle.  Even  to-day  the  lurking  Indian 
foeman  is  no  mean  adversary  to  be  laughed  and  brushed 
out  of  the  way,  notwithstanding  disease,  war,  assassina- 
tion and  necessary  chastisement  have  united  rapidly  to 
decimate  his  race,  thereby  gradually  lessening  its  power. 
Fifty  years  ago  the  rolling  plains  were  alive  with  them, 
and  their  numbers  alone  made  them  formidable.  It  is 
not  strange  that  the  untutored  savages  of  the  prairie, 
like  those  of  their  race  who  hailed  with  ungovernable 


26  TRUE    INDIAN    CHARACTER. 

curiosity  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  on  Plymouth 
Rock,  should  have  been  attracted  by  the  wonderful 
inventions  of  the  white-man  intruder.  A  very  short 
period  of  time  served  to  turn  this  ungovernable  curi- 
osity into  troublesome  thieving.  Knowing  no  law  but 
their  wild  traditionary  rules,  they  wrested  from  the  ad- 
venturous pioneer  his  rifle,  knife,  axe,  wagon,  harness, 
horse,  powder,  ball,  flint,  watch,  compass,  cooking  uten- 
sils, and  so  forth.  The  result  was.  sanguinary  engage- 
ments ensued,  which  led  to  bitter  hostility  between  the 
two  races.  Doubtless  the  opinion  may  be  controverted, 
but  it  nevertheless  shall  be  hazarded,  that,  until  the 
weaker  party  shall  be  exterminated  by  the  stronger, 
the  wild  war-whoop,  with  its  keen-edged  knife  and 
death-dealing  rifle  accompaniments,  will  continue,  from 
time  to  time,  to  palsy  the  nerve,  and  arouse  the  cour- 
age of  the  pioneer  white  man.  The  Indian,  in  his  at- 
tack, no  longer  sbowers  cloth-yard  arrows  upon  his  foe. 
He  has  learned  to  kill  his  adversary  with  the  voice  of 
thunder  and  the  unseen  bullet. 

The  bold  traveler,  whose  pathway  lies  over  those 
great  high-roads  which  lead  to  the  Pacific  must  still 
watch  for  the  red  man's  ambush  by  day.  and  by  night 
sleep  under  the  protecting  vigilance  of  the  faithful, 
quick-sighted  sentinel.  The  savage  never  forgives  his 
own  or  his  ancestor's  foe.  Every  generation  of  them 
learns  from  tradition,  the  trials  and  exploits  of  its 
tribe.  From  earliest  boyhood  these  form  the  burden 
of  their  education  in  history  ;  and,  on  performing  the 
feat  of  courage  or  strength  which  admits  them  to 
the  councils  of  the  braves,  their  nation's  wrongs  are 
uppermost  in  their  thoughts,  causing  them  to  thirst 
for  a    revenge  which    sooner  or  later  gives  them   a 


the  hunter's  a  hounds."  27 

grave,  making  themselves,  in  turn,  an  object  of  re- 
venge. 

It  has  already  appeared  that  when  Kit  Carson  en- 
tered upon  his  first  expedition,  game  was  to  be  had  in 
abundance.  His  route  lay  across  the  western  wilds  to 
Santa  Fe.  All  this  distance  the  bulk  of  provisions,  con- 
sisting of  a  small  quantity  of  flour  and  bacon,  had  to 
be  transported  by  himself  and  his  companions.  These 
articles  were  kept  as  a  reserve,  and  were  looked  upon 
as  luxuries ;  for  that  man  wras  estimated  to  be  a  very 
poor  shot  who  could  not  obtain,  with  his  rifle,  all  the 
animal  food  he  required  for  his  individual  sustenance. 
These  hunters,  however,  wrell  understood  the  laws  which 
govern  and  the  advantages  which  follow  division  of  la- 
bor. Everything  was  so  arranged,  both  for  this  and 
subsequent  expeditions,  by  which  a  regular  hunter 
was  appointed,  and  each  man  assigned  some  particu- 
lar duty  according  to  his  capacity.  These  appoint- 
ments were  usually  made  by  the  leader  of  the  party, 
whose  supervision  was  acknowledged  by  general  con- 
sent on  account  of  his  known  experience  and  capa- 
bility. This  plan  was  the  more  necessary  in  order  to 
avoid  confusion. 

The  caravan  had  hardly  launched  out  on  its  long 
and  tedious  tramp,  when  an  accident  occurred  which 
came  very  near  proving  serious  in  its  results.  For  sev- 
eral days  the  men  had  been  greatly  annoyed  by  wolves 
who  appeared  more  than  usually  ravenous  and  bold. 
There  are  two  species  of  these  animals  found  on  the 
western  prairie.  One  is  small,  called  the  Jackal ;  the 
other  much  larger.  The  latter,  or  larger  species,  are 
found  of  various  colors,  but  more  frequently  grey.  The 
color,  however,  varies  with  the  season,  and  often  from 


28  AN    UNPLEASANT    SERENADE. 

other  causes.  Many  of  their  habits  are  strikingly  sim- 
ilar to  those  of  the  domestic  dog,  with  the  simple  dif- 
ference that  the  wolf  is  unreclaimed  from  his  wild 
state.  The  connecting  link  between  the  prairie  wolf 
and  the  domestic  dog,  is  the  cur  found  among  the  Indi- 
ans. The  Indian  cur,  by  a  casual  observer,  could  be 
easily  mistaken  for  a  prairie  wolf.  Near  the  Eocky 
Mountains,  and  in  them,  these  animals  are  found  of 
immense  size  ;  but,  being  cowardly,  they  are  not  dan- 
gerous. The  first  night  a  person  sleeps  on  a  prairie 
is  ever  afterwards  vividly  impressed  upon  his  mem- 
ory. The  serenade  of  the  wolves,  with  which  he  is 
honored,  is  apt  to  be  distinctly  remembered.  It  is  far 
from  agreeable,  and  seldom  fails  to  awaken  unpleas- 
ant forebodings  concerning  the  future  ;  and,  the  idea 
that  these  fellows  may  be  soon  cleaning  his  bones  is 
not  very  genial  to  the  fancy.  To  the  wolf,  the  grave- 
yard is  anything  but  consecrated  ground ;  and,  if  a 
person  is  very  chary  of  his  cadaver,  he  had  better  not 
leave  it  on  the  Western  Plains.  The  wolf  is  quite 
choice  in  his  viands  whenever  the  opportunity  offers, 
and  will,  at  any  time,  leave  the  carcass  of  an  Indian 
for  that  of  a  white  man.  Old  frontiersmen,  speaking 
of  the  wolves,  usually  style  them  as  "  their  dogs  ;"  and, 
after  a  night  when  these  animals  have  kept  up  an  in- 
cessant barking,  they  will  express  wonder  by  asking 
what  has  been  disturbing  "  their  hounds."  The  flesh 
of  the  mountain  wolf,  wThen  cooked,  has  something  of 
the  smell  and  taste  of  mutton,  but  it  is  very  rank. 

In  order  to  frighten  the  wolves,  the  teamsters  would 
occasionally  shoot  them.  One  of  the  members  of  the 
expedition,  named  Broader,  was  obliged  to  take  a  fresh 
rifle  from  a  wagon.    In  taking  the  gun  out,  the  hammer 


A    TERRIBLE    ACCIDENT.  29 

of  the  lock  caught  against  some  projecting  object,  which 
caused  it  to  be  partially  set.  Having  become  freed, 
however,  before  it  was  fully  set,  it  came  down  and  fired 
the  gun.  The  contents  of  the  barrel  were  sent  through 
the  man's  arm.  No  member  of  the  expedition  was 
conversant  with  surgical  knowledge.  Here  was  an 
occasion  to  shake  the  nerves  of  any  feeling  man ;  and, 
beneath  the  rousch  exterior  of  the  western  ranker,  there 
runs  as  deep  a  stream  of  true  humanity  as  can  be  found 
anywhere  on  the  American  continent.  Every  sugges- 
tion was  offered  and  every  effort  was  put  forth  which 
heart  feeling  chained  to  anxiety  and  the  terrible  neces- 
sity, could  offer.  Every  remedy  which  promised  a  good 
result  was  duly  weighed  ;  and,  if  pronounced  worthy  of 
trial,  it  wras  adopted.  The  sufferer  had  kind,  though 
rough  nurses ;  but  the  absence  of  scientific  skill,  under 
such  emergency,  proved  a  sad  want  for  the  unfortunate 
man.  Notwithstanding  their  united  efforts,  Broader's 
arm  grew  alarmingly  wrorse.  It  soon  became  manifest 
to  all  that  he  must  part  with  his  arm,  or  lose  his  life ; — 
perhaps  both.  At  this  critical  period  a  consultation 
was  held,  in  which  the  suffering  patient  joined.  Due 
deliberation  was  extended  to  all  the  symptoms.  The 
giving  of  advice  in  such  a  council  by  men  who  could 
only  give  judgment  from  an  imaginary  stand-point,  must 
strike  the  heart  of  true  sympathy  as  having  been  pain- 
ful in  no  ordinary  degree.  After  every  possible  argu- 
ment had  been  offered  in  favor  of  saving  the  arm,  the 
final  decision  of  the  council  was  that  it  must  come  off. 
The  next  difficulty  which  presented  itself  was  quite  as 
formidable  as  the  expression  of  a  correct  judgment. 
Who  should  perform  the  office  of  surgeon  ?  was  the 
knotty  question.     Again  the  consultations  became  ex- 


30  kit's  nerve  put  to  the  test. 

citing  and  intensely  painful.  The  members  of  the 
council,  however,  took  it  upon  themselves  to  designate 
the  persons,  and  chose  Carson  with  two  others.  These 
immediately  set  at  work  to  execute  their  sad  but  neces- 
sary task.  The  arrangements  were  all  hastily,  but  care- 
fully made,  and  the  cutting  begun.  The  instruments 
used  were  a  razor,  an  old  saw,  and,  to  arrest  the  hemor- 
rhage, the  king  bolt  taken  from  one  of  the  wagons  was 
heated  and  applied  to  serve  as  an  actual  cautery.  The 
operation,  rudely  performed,  with  rude  instruments,  by 
unpractised  hands,  excited  to  action  only  by  the  spur 
of  absolute  necessity,  proved,  nevertheless,  entirely 
successful.  Before  the  caravan  arrived  at  Santa  Fe,  the 
patient  had  so  far  recovered  that  he  was  able  to  take 
care  of  himself. 

Besides  this  unfortunate  affair,  nothing  worthy  of  note 
transpired,  beyond  the  general  record  of  their  route, 
during  the  remainder  of  their  iournev.  The  latter  would 
be  too  voluminous  for  the  general  reader,  and  has 
already  served  its  purpose  as  an  assistant  to  other  ex- 
ploring parties,  both  from  published  account  and  con- 
versational directions.  The  party  entered  Santa  Fe  in 
the  month  of  November.  Very  soon  after,  Kit  Carson 
left  his  companions  and  proceeded  to  Fernandez  de 
Taos,  a  Mexican  town,  which  lies  about  eighty  miles  to 
the  north-east  of  the  capital  of  New  Mexico.  During 
the  winter  that  followed  his  arrival  in  the  territory  of 
New  Mexico,  Kit  lived  with  an  old  mountaineer  by  the 
name  of  Kin  Cade,  who  very  kindly  offered  him  a  home 
It  was  at  this  period  of  his  life  that  he  commenced 
studying  the  Spanish  language.  His  friend  Kin  Cade 
became  his  assistant  in  this  task.  At  the  same  time 
Kit   neglected  no   opportunity  to    learn  all    he  could 


POVERTY    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.  31 

about  the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  little  thought,  then, 
that  these  earth-formed  giants  were  to  become  his 
future  home,  and  so  gloriously  to  herald  his  name 
throughout  the  entire  civilized  globe. 

The  pinching  effects  of  want  now  attacked  poor  Kit. 
He  could  obtain  no  employment.  His  expectations  in 
this  respect,  as  well  as  his  earnest  efforts,  received  so 
little  encouragement  that  he  began,  finally,  to  despond. 
Extreme  poverty  is  a  wet  damper  on  the  fires  of  the 
best  genius ;  but,  as  was  the  case  with  Kit,  it  does  not 
effectually  put  it  out.  Kit  saw  with  sorrow  that  he 
must  retrace  his  steps.  To  obtain  means  to  carry  out 
his  ardent  desires,  in  the  spring  of  1827  he  started  on 
a  backward  trip  to  Missouri.  Every  step  he  took  in 
this  direction  was  accompanied  with  such  displeasure, 
that  had  it  not  been  his  best  and  surest  policy,  he 
would  have  mastered  any  difficulties  of  another  and 
better  course,  had  such  offered.  Four  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  Santa  Fe,  being  about  one-half  the 
distance  across  the  prairies,  had  been  accomplished  by 
the  party  Kit  had  joined  for  this  homeward  trip.  The 
fording  of  the  Arkansas  River  had  been  reached.  Here 
Kit's  party  met  with  some  traders  bound  for  New  Mex- 
ico. They  offered  him  employment,  which  he  gladly 
accepted  ;  and,  in  their  company,  retraced  his  steps 
back  to  Santa  Fe.  But  when  arrived  at  Santa  Fe,  Kit 
found  himself  again  without  money.  He  was  afforded 
an  opportunity  to  obtain  a  wardrobe,  but  to  the  moun- 
taineer, such  property  would  be  entirely  a  superfluity. 
He  feels  nearly  independent  on  the  score  of  clothing, 
as  he  considers  that  he  needs  but  little  raiment,  and 
that  little  he  is  always  proud  to  owe  to  his  beloved 
rifle.     This  brings  to  his  hand  buckskins  in  plenty,  and 


29 


KIT    WANTS    A    '"WOOLEN"    SliiKT. 


his  own  ingenuity  is  the  fashion-plate  by  which  they 
are  manufactured  into  wearable  and  comfortable  ves- 
ture. There  is  one  article  of  clothing,  however,  for 
which  the  frontiersman  feels  an  ardent   predilection. 

It  is  a  woolen  shirt.  This  article.  Kit.  really  needed  ; 
and,  in  equal  pace  with  his  necessity,  ran  his  anxiety 
that  something  should  offer  by  which  to  obtain  one. 
The  reader  may  smile  at  this  ;  and,  so  did  Kit,  as  he 
afterwards  recounted  the  fact  in  his  own  inimitable 
style.  But  Kit  said  that  to  obtain  a  woolen  shirt 
then,  was,  to  him,  no  laughing  matter.  At  a  moment 
when  he  almost  despaired  of  gaining  employment,  he 
received  an  offer  to  go  as  a  teamster  with  an  expedi- 
tion bound  to  El  Paso.  This  opportunity  was  a  chance 
for  success  not  to  be  lost,  and  he  closed  with  the  prop- 
osition. After  faithfully  performing  his  engagement, 
he,  however,  returned  to  Santa  Fe,  where  he  made  a 
short  stay,  and  then  proceeded  to  Taos.  In  this  town 
Kit  entered  into  the  service  of  Mr.  Ewing  Young,  who 
was  a  trader  and  trapper.  The  reader  may  prepare 
again  for  a  smile,  as  he  will  now  learn  that  Kit  became 
a  cook.  Mr.  Ewing  Young  had  the  satisfaction  of 
boasting  that  the  renowned  Kit  Carson  once  performed 
the  responsible  and  arduous  duties  of  a  master  cook  in 
the  culinary  department  of  his  establishment ;  and 
that,  for  these  valuable  services,  labor,  care  and  dili- 
gence, he  gave  to  Kit,  as  a  quid  pro  quo,  his  board. 
In  this  way  Kit  supported  himself  in  his  straitened 
circumstances  until  the  following  spring. 

What  was  the  bright  thought  which  made  the  bold, 
the  ardent,  the  energetic  Kit  Carson  accept  this  menial 
office  ?  Surely  the  brain  metal  which  was  so  brightly 
polished  when  he  set  out  from  Howard   County,  Mis- 


INTERPRETER  AND  TEAMSTER.  33 

souri,  must  have  been  sadly  rusted.  Not  so  !  The 
hope  which  buoyed  up  his  spirits  while  he  attempted 
to  rival  French  pastry  and  English  beef  with  American 
venison  and  Buffalo  meat  on  the  table  of  Mr.  Ewing 
Young,  was  that  some  trapper,  or  hunter,  would  come 
into  Taos,  their  favorite  place  of  resort ;  and,  by  being 
ready  for  an  emergency,  he  would  obtain  an  opportu- 
nity for  gaining  a  permission  to  join  them.  His  inten- 
tion was  certainly  good,  but  it  lacked  the  bright  crown 
of  good  intention — success.  In  the  spring  of  1828, 
much  chagrined  with  his,  so  far,  continued  bad  luck, 
and  no  prospect  of  gaining  his  object  appearing,  he 
again  joined  a  homeward-bound  party  and  with  it,  sor- 
rowfully, started  for  Missouri.  But,  as  on  the  former 
trip  homeward,  he  met  on  the  route  a  party  bound  for 
Santa  Fe.  That  indomitable  ingredient  in  his  compo- 
sition, an  iron  will,  caused  him  once  more  to  turn  his 
face  westward.  He  joined  this  party  and  returned  to 
Santa  Fe,  in  order  again  to  tempt  fortune  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  reach  the  Rocky  Mountains.  But  during  all 
these  changes  and  counterchanges  Kit  had  not  been 
idle.  He  had  picked  up  considerable  knowledge,  and, 
to  his  other  stock  of  accomplishments,  had  added  the 
ability  to  speak  the  Spanish  language. 

On  arriving  once  more  at  Santa  Fe,  he  fell  in  with 
Col.  Tramell,  who  was  at  that  time  a  well-known 
trader.  Col.  Tramell  needed  a  Spanish  interpreter. 
Kit  obtained  the  post,  and  set  out  with  him  for  Chi- 
huahua, one  of  the  Mexican  States.  Here  again  Kit 
made  a  change  in  his  employment.  In  Chihuahua  he 
fell  in  with  Mr.  Robert  McKnight.  To  him  he  hired 
out  as  a  teamster,  and  in  this  capacity  went  to  the  cop- 
per mines  which  are  found  near  to  the  Rio  Gila.    Amid 


34  NO    THOUGHT    OF    DANGER. 

the  weary  necessities  of  this  humble  but  honorable 
calling,  Kit's  heart  was  constantly  alive  with  ambition 
to  become  a  hunter  and  trapper.  He  knew  that  he 
was  expert  with  the  rifle,  which  had  been  his  boyish 
toy,  and  felt  confident  that  he  could  rely  upon  it  as 
an  assistant  to  gain  an  honest  living.  His  constant 
thought  at  this  time  was,  let  him  now  be  engaged  in 
whatever  calling  chance  offered  and  necessity  caused 
him  to  accept,  the  final  pursuit  of  his  life  would  be  as 
a  hunter  and  trapper.  Here,  then,  is  presented  a 
fair  example  of  the  strife,  both  inward  and  outward, 
through  which  a  young  man  of  courage  and  ambition 
must  expect  to  pass  before  he  can  win  position,  influ- 
ence, and  the  comforts  of  life,  whatever  the  scene  of 
his  action,  or  whatever  the  choice  of -employment  suit- 
able to  his  talent  and  genius.  Kit  Carson  was  deter- 
mined, no  matter  what  might  be  the  obstacles  which 
presented  themselves,  to  be  a  hunter  and  trapper. 

The  reader  will  have  made  a  sad  mistake  if  he  has 
concluded,  that  during  the  time  which  has  intervened 
since  Kit  started  from  Missouri,  he  has  been  roaming 
in  a  country  where  there  was  less  danger  than  when 
he  was  in  the  picketed  fort  with  his  father.  Such  a 
supposition  would  be  greatly  at  fault.  The  towns  in 
New  Mexico,  at  this  early  period,  were  almost  entirely 
at  the  mercy  of  the  Indians.  The  Mexicans  were  nearly 
destitute  of  means  to  defend  themselves.  Very  few  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race  had  entered  this  territory,  and 
those  who  had  were,  in  turn,  exposed  to  the  vacillating 
wills  of  the  proverbially  treacherous  Mexicans.  A  man 
like  Kit  Carson,  however,  born  and  bred  in  danger, 
cared  but  little  about  this  state  of  affairs.  The  dangers 
did  not  enter  into  his  calculations  of  chance  to  over- 


ARRIVES    AT    TAOS.  R5 

come  the  difficulties  which  beset  the  pathway  which 
the  alluring  hopes  of  his  ambition  had  marked  out. 
Not  long  afterward  he  left  the  copper  mines,  and  once 
more  bent  his  steps  to  Taos,  in  company  with  a  small 
party.  At  Taos  he  found  a  band  of  trappers  which  had 
been  sent  out  by  Mr.  Ewing  Young.  While  en  route 
for  the  River  Colorado,  in  pursuit  of  game,  they  had 
been  attacked  by  a  band  of  Indians.  After  fighting 
an  entire  day,  they  had  been  compelled  to  retreat, 
and  returned  to  New  Mexico. 


36  AFTER   THE    INDIANS. 


OHAPTEE   II. 

The  News  of  the  Defeat  of  Mr.  Young's  Trapping  Party  by  the  Indians 
reaches  Taos — Young  raises  a  Party  to  Chastise  the  Indians — Kit  Car- 
son becomes  a  Conspicuous  Member  of  the  Expedition — The  Indians 
are  found  on  Salt  River — The  Fight — Trapping  Exploits — A  new 
Country — Trials  and  Vicissitudes — Sacramento  Valley — California 
and  its  Roman  Catholic  Missions  in  1820 — Another  Indian  Fight — 
Sale  of  Furs — Indian  Depredations — Kit  Carson  and  Twelve  Trap- 
pers engage  with  the  Indians  in  a  Battle — Return  to  the  Camp  with 
recovered  Property. 

The  news  of  the  attack  and  defeat  of  his  men  by  the 
Indians  was  brought  to  Mr.  Ewing  Young  at  Taos  by  a 
member  of  the  unfortunate  expedition.  On  learning 
the  causes  which  brought  this  unpleasant  termination 
to  his  enterprise,  Mr.  Young  raised  a  party  of  forty  men, 
consisting  of  Americans,  Canadians,  and  Frenchmen, 
and  put  himself  at  its  head.  Kit  Carson  was  received 
into  the  party,  and  soon  became  one  of  its  most  prom- 
inent and  efficient  aids.  Mr.  Young's  object  was  two- 
fold— first,  to  chastise  the  Indians  ;  and,  second,  to  make 
all  he  could  out  of  the  expedition  by  employing  the  men 
in  their  calling  as  trappers.  Under  the  Mexican  lawrs, 
licenses  were  required  from  the  Government  to  all 
Mexicans  who  set  out  on  trapping  expeditions.  These 
were  not  granted  to  citizens  of  the  United  States.  This 
was  not  the  mere  will  of  p-overnmental  officials  \  the 
Mexican  statutory  law  prohibited  the  granting  of 
licenses  to  citizens  of  the  United  States.     This  law  was, 


KIT'S    FIRST    INDIAN    FIGHT.  37 

however,  often  made  a  dead  letter  by  Americans,  for 
they  frequently  but  stealthily  evaded  it.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  hoodwink  the  Mexican  authorities,  Mr. 
Young  had  to  resort  to  various  expedients.  His  prep- 
arations were  so  carefully  and  secretly  made,  that  the 
real  business  he  had  in  contemplation  did  not  transpire, 
or  even  a  suspicion  gain  currency  as  to  his  intended 
whereabouts. 

In  April,  1829,  the  party  set  out,  eager  to  bring  about 
results  equal  to  their  anticipations.  At  first,  to  avoid 
the  curiosity  and  inquiring  disposition  of  the  Mexicans, 
they  traveled  northward,  as  if  their  destination  was  into 
the  territory  of  the  United  States.  Hints  had  been  suf- 
ficiently freely  bestowed  upon  the  Mexicans  to  lead 
them  to  believe  that  such  was  the  destination  of  the 
party.  After  journeying  fifty  miles  in  this  direction,  and 
feeling  themselves  free  from  the  scrutiny  of  the  Mexican 
authorities,  they  changed  their  course  to  the  south-west, 
and  traveled  through  the  country  occupied  by  the 
Navajoes,  an  interesting  and  dangerous  race  of  Indians, 
over  which,  at  a  later  day,  Kit  Carson  achieved  the 
greatest  victory  ever  known  in  Indian  warfare.  On 
their  route,  the  company  passed  through  Zuni,  a  Peublo 
town  ;  thence  they  traveled  to  the  head  of  Salt  River, 
one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Rio  Gila.  Here  they  dis- 
covered the  band  of  Indians  who  had  attacked  and 
defeated  the  former  party.  As  soon  as  the  Indians  dis- 
covered the  party  of  trappers,  they  became  eager  for 
the  affray.  The  usual  preliminaries  for  such  fights 
were,  therefore,  quickly  made  on  both  sides  Young 
directed  the  greater  part  of  his  men  to  lie  in  ambush, 
for  he  felt  confident  that  the  Indians  did  not  know  his 
strength.     The  bands  of  savages  who  covered  the  hills 


38  THE   KED-SKINS    DEFEATED. 

round  about  mistook  the  halt  necessary  to  complete  the 
ambush  for  cowardice  and  fear  on  the  part  of  the  whites. 
At  this  their  courage  arose  to  such  a  degree  that  they 
made  a  bold  charge  against,  as  they  supposed,  the  small 
party  of  white  men  who  were  visible.  They  were  allowed 
to  advance  well  into  the  trap,  until,  by  the  position  of 
the  trappers  in  ambush,  they  came  under  a  cross-fire. 
At  the  word  of  command,  a  general  volley  was  fired 
into  the  advance  column.  Fifteen  warriors  fell  dead, 
and  many  others  were  wounded.  The  Indians  became 
panic-stricken,  and  the  trappers  immediately  following 
up  their  advantage,  advanced  from  cover.  The  war- 
riors did  not  rally  for  a  second  attack,  but  fled  in  every 
direction,  leaving  Young,  with  his  party,  masters  of  the 
field.  Strange  as  it  has  ever  seemed,  to  the  inquiring 
mind,  in  those  days  and  for  many  succeeding  years, 
companies  of  white  men  from  fifty  to  sixty  in  number 
could  wao-e  successful  war  against  whole  tribes  of  In- 
dians,  who  could  easily  muster  a  thousand  fighting 
men.  A  reason  often  given  for  this  is,  that  the  trappers 
of  the  western  wilds  are  invariably  "  dead  shots"  with 
the  rifle  and  well  versed  in  Indian  strategy.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  red  men  were,  comparatively  speaking, 
poorly  armed,  and  could  not  travel  together  for  any 
length  of  time  in  large  parties,  because  they  depended 
for  food  chiefly  upon  hunting.  Had  there  existed  no 
other  cause,  the  means  of  obtaining  provision  being 
limited,  must  have  compelled  them  to  separate.  Very 
frequently  whole  tribes  are  reduced  to  depend  upon 
daily  hunts.  The  bravery  of  the  Indians  is  of  a  dif- 
ferent stamp  from  that  which  is  exhibited  by  the  whites, 
especially  where  the  white  man  is  a  Simon-pure  western 
trapper.     The  white  man  on  the  prairie  or  in  the  moun- 


OFF    FOR    CALIFORNIA.  39 

tains  knows  but  too  well  that,  if  attacked  by  Indians, 
lie  must  conquer  or  die.  It  was,  and  is,  seldom  that  a 
company  out  on  an  expedition  has  any  place  of  refuge 
to  which  it  may  retreat.  Here  is  the  principal  reason 
why  the  trapper  is  so  seldom  defeated.  He  cannot 
afford  to  lose  his  life  to  a  certainty,  and  consequently 
will  not  allow  a  defeat. 

After  this  fight,  Young's  party  trapped  down  the 
Salt  River  to  San  Francisco  River,  and  thence  on  up  to 
the  head  of  the  latter  stream.  The  Indians  failed  not 
to  hover  on  their  pathway,  and  to  make  nightly  at- 
tacks upon  their  party.  Frequently  they  would  crawl 
into  camp  and  steal  a  trap,  or  kill  a  mule  or  a  horse, 
and  do  whatever  other  damage  they  could  secretly. 
At  the  head  of  the  San  Francisco  River  the  company 
was  divided.  It  was  so  arranged,  that  one  party  was 
to  proceed  to  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento  in  Califor- 
nia. Of  this  detachment  Kit  Carson  was  a  member. 
The  other  party  had  orders  to  return  to  New  Mexico 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  traps  to  replace  those 
stolen.  This  latter  party  was  also  commissioned  to 
take  and  dispose  of  the  stock  of  beaver  already  on 
hand.  The  party  bound  for  California  was  eighteen 
in  number.  Of  this  party  Mr.  Young  took  command. 
Previous  to  setting  out,  a  few  days  were  devoted  to 
hunting.  They  only  succeeded,  however,  in  killing 
three  deer.  The  meat  of  these  animals  they  prepared 
to  take  with  them,  as  they  were  about  to  journey  into 
a  country  never  before  explored.  The  skins  of  the 
three  deer  were  converted  into  tanks  for  carrying  wa- 
ter. They  had  learned  from  some  friendly  Indians  that 
the  country  over  which  they  had  to  pass  en  route  was 
destitute  of  water.     The  red  men  told  them  addition- 


40  SCENTING    WATER    FROM    AFAR. 

ally  that  the  valley  (meaning  the  Sacramento)  was 
beautiful,  and  that  the  streams  were  full  of  beaver. 
All  of  this  information  the  trappers  found  was  true. 
For  four  days  they  traveled  over  a  barren  country, 
where  not  one  drop  of  water  could  be  found.  At  each 
night's  camping-place,  small  allowances  of  water  from 
the  tanks  was  distributed  by  the  commander  to  each 
man  and  animal.  A  guard  was  then  stationed  over 
the  remainder  to  prevent  any  accident  from  depriving 
the  company  of  this  now  precious  article  of  sustenance. 
At  the  close  of  the  fourth  day,  however,  they  again 
found  water.  The  instinct  exhibited  by  the  pack 
mules  on  this  occasion  was  truly  remarkable.  Long 
before  any  member  of  the  party  thought  that  water 
was  so  near,  the  mules,  with  unerring  certainty,  had 
smelt  it,  and  each  one,  according  to  his  remaining 
strength,  had  hurried  on  to  partake  of  it.  The  result 
was,  that  when  the  first  mule  had  reached  the  water, 
the  remainder  were  scattered  along  upon  the  trail  for 
a  great  distance.  The  company  encamped  here,  and 
remained  two  days  to  recruit. 

The  journey  was  renewed  on  the  third  day,  the  route 
being  still  over  a  similar  kind  of  country,  necessitating 
both  man  and  beast  to  submit  to  similar  privations  as 
to  water.  In  four  days  more  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
great  Canon  of  the  Colorado,  which  failed  not  to  awaken 
a  thrill  of  delight  in  every  member  of  the  party.  Just 
before  reaching  the  Canon  they  met  a  party  of  Mohave 
Indians,  of  whom  they  purchased  an  old  mare.  She 
was  killed  and  eaten  by  the  party  with  great  gusto. 
The  party  remained  three  days  on  the  banks  of  the 
Colorado  recruiting  their  strength.  While  remaining 
here,  another  party  of  Mohave  Indians  visited  them, 


H|l     i|  -v.  ■-.-  "     ■  „,; 


LOSING    A    RIVER.  41 

From  whom  they  procured  a  small  quantity  of  corn  and 
beans.  Leaving  the  Colorado,  they  recommenced  their 
journey  and  traveled  south-west.  In  three  days  they 
arrived  at  a  stream  which  rises  in  the  coast  range,  runs 
north-east  and  is  lost  in  the  sands  of  the  Great  Basin. 
About  two  years  previous  to  their  arrival  here,  three 
trappers  by  the  names  of  Smith,  Sublett,  and  Jackson, 
with  a  large  party  of  men,  had  a  desperate  fight  in 
this  neighborhood  with  hostile  Indians.  They,  also, 
had  learned  from  friendly  Indians  of  the  wonders  of 
the  Sacramento  Valley,  and  were  en  route  to  explore 
it  when  attacked.  Four  only  out  of  their  entire  com- 
pany escaped  with  their  lives.  These  succeeded  in 
making  their  way  to  the  nearest  Mexican  settlements, 
which  they  reached  in  a  state  of  complete  destitution, 
after  many  hardships.  Young  and  his  party  followed 
the  dry  bed  of  this  river  for  several  days  before  they 
came  to  any  visible  water.  It  may  be  interesting  to 
some  of  our  readers  to  know  that  there  are  many  of 
these  curious  rivers  in  western  America,  which,  for 
miles  disappear  from  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and, 
probably,  run  through  the  quicksand  beneath,  as  they 
re-appear  again.  The  outline  of  the  river  usually  exists 
between  the  place  of  its  disappearance  and  the  place 
where  the  water  again  comes  to  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  By  digging  a  few  feet  into  the  sand  within  the 
outline  the  water  is  generally  obtained.  It  takes  but 
a  short  time,  however,  for  the  hole  thus  made  to  fill 
up  again.  On  quitting  this  river,  the  party  journeyed 
to  the  westward,  and  in  four  days,  came  to  the  Mission 
of  San  Gabriel.  Here  they  found  one  Roman  Catholic 
priest,  fifteen  Mexican  soldiers,  and  about  one  thousand 
Indians.     Belonging  to  this  little  colony  were  eighty 


42  ROMAN    CATHOLIC    MISSIONS. 

thousand  head  of  cattle,  fine  fields  and  vineyards.  Lit~ 
erally  the  work  and  life  of  the  Jewish  patriarchs  were 
here  being  reenacted. 

"A  shepherd  on  the  mighty  plain  he  watched  his  roving  store." 

To  the  half-starved  followers  of  Mr.  Young,  this  Mis- 
sion appeared  to  be  a  "  Paradise  of  Earth."  They  re- 
mained here,  however,  but  one  day.  Having  nothing 
else  to  trade,  they  parted  with  their  butcher-knives 
receiving  for  four  of  them  one  fat  ox.  It  would  all  ap- 
pear a  fabulous  tale,  were  we  to  incorporate  into  this 
narrative  a  history,  or  even  a  slight  description  of  the 
immensity  of  the  herds  of  horses  and  cattle  which  once 
roamed  over  the  plains  and  valleys  of  California  and 
New  Mexico.  It  is  but  a  few  years  since  that  some 
wealthy  Mexicans  owned  herds  in  these  parts  of  Amer- 
ica which  they  numbered  b}r  tens  of  thousands.  They 
were,  however,  almost  valueless  for  want  of  a  market ; 
and,  until  the  tide  of  emigration  poured  in,  developing 
the  resources  of  the  country  by  its  demand  for  pro- 
visions and  labor,  horses  and  cattle  were  sold  for  a 
mere  trifle.  In  one  day's  march  from  San  Gabriel, 
Young  and  his  party  arrived  at  another  Roman  Catho- 
lic Mission,  called  San  Fernando.  This  establishment 
was  on  a  much  smaller  scale  than  the  first  Young 
and  his  hardy  followers,  however,  stopping  only  for  a 
few  hours,  pushed  on  for  the  Sacramento  River,  which 
proved  to  be  distant  only  a  few  days'  march.  Their 
course  from  San  Fernando  was  north-cast.  The  last 
part  of  their  journey  led  through  a  delightful  tract  of 
country,  where  water,  grass  and  game  existed  in  abund- 
ance, seemingly  a  foretaste  of  the  success  which  awaited 


KIT    DISTINGUISHES    HIMSELF.  43 

their  further  advance.  Selecting  an  eligible  camping 
site,  Young  here  rested  his  party  for  some  time.  When 
they  were  fully  recruited,  the  party  started  for  the 
San  Joaquin,  and  commenced  trapping  down  the  river. 
What  gave  the  men  great  surprise,  they  discovered 
unmistakable  signs  of  another  trapping  party.  In  a 
short  time  it  appeared  that  they  were  close  to  a 
party  belonging  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  com- 
manded by  Peter  Ogden.  Young's  men  however,  con- 
tinued setting  their  traps  on  the  San  Joaquin  and  its 
tributaries.  The  two  parties  were  near  each  other  for 
some  time,  and  as  deer,  elk,  and  antelope  existed  by 
thousands  around  them,  which  it  was  no  trouble  to  kill 
in  any  numbers  desirable,  they  fared  well.  On  again 
reaching  the  Sacramento  River,  the  two  parties  sepa- 
rated. Mr.  Ogden,  with  his  party,  set  out  for  the 
Columbia  River,  while  Mr.  Young's  party  encamped 
where  they  were  for  the  remainder  of  the  summer. 
As  the  season  for  trapping  had  passed  they  employed 
their  time  in  hunting  and  preparing  meat  for  future 
necessity. 

It  was  here  that  Kit  Carson  soon  distinguished  him- 
self as  a  superior  hunter,  which  reputation  he  main- 
tained ever  after,  no  matter  who  were  his  antagonists. 
Not  but  that  Kit  may  have  had  his  equals ;  but  that  it 
was  next  to  an  impossibility  to  find  his  superior.  At 
all  events,  the  world  gave  Kit  Carson  the  title  of  "  Nes- 
tor of  the  Rocky  Mountains,"  for  his  reputation  as  a 
hunter  alone ;  and  as  his  biographer,  we  take  pleasure 
in  recording  the  facts  by  which  the  title  was  earned 
and  maintained.  Let  the  reader  possess  himself  of  the 
facts,  as  they  shall  appear  divested  of  any  and  every 
picture    which    fancy   or    partiality   may    accidentally 


44  FIGHT   WITH    THE    INDIANS. 

cause  us  to  paint,  and  even  then  Kit  Carson  will  not 
lose  the  title.  On  the  contrary,  it  will  become  the 
more  indelibly  stamped  upon  his  memory. 

During  the  sojourn  of  the  trappers  on  the  Sacra- 
mento, an  event  occurred  which  exhibited  the  readi- 
ness with  which  these  men  responded  to  calls  upon 
them  for  aid  in  a  just  cause.  A  few  of  the  Indians 
belonging  to  the  Mission  of  the  San  Rafael,  after  com- 
mitting some  excesses,  deserted  from  those  to  whom 
they  had  pretended  friendship.  The  priest  having 
charge  of  the  Mission  sent  a  strong  force  to  search  for 
the  fugitives  They  were  found  secreted  in  an  Indian 
village,  the  inhabitants  of  which  were  not  on  friendly 
terms  with  the  priest's  part}-.  A  demand  Mas  made 
that  the  deserters  should  be  given  up,  which  being  re- 
fused, a  fight  ensued,  and  the  priest's  party  was  de- 
feated. Assistance  was  now  asked  from  the  trappers. 
The  request  was  complied  with  by  Carson  and  eleven 
of  his  companions,  who  volunteered  for  the  occasion. 
Thus  reinforced,  the  vanquished  party  returned  and 
resumed  the  fight,  but  with  a  far  different  result.  The 
Indian  village  was  captured,  and  one-third  of  its  in- 
habitants killed.  The  day  following  a  second  demand 
to  deliver  up  the  deserters  was  complied  with.  Carson 
and  his  companions  then  left  the  priest's  paiiy  and  re- 
joined their  camp.  A  short  time  after  this  affair  had 
happened,  Mr.  Young  carried  the  furs  he  had  on  hand 
to  the  Mission  of  San  Rafael,  where  he  was  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  find  a  captain  of  a  trading  schooner  to 
whom  he  succeeded  in  disposing  of  the  entire  sto:k. 
With  the  money  accruing  from  the  sale,  he  purchased 
horses  and  then  rejoined  his  company. 

A  circumstance  occurred  a  few  days  after  Mr.  Young's 


AFTER    THE    HORSE    THIEVES.  45 

return,  which  proved  to  be  a  good  warning  to  the  party 
for  their  future  vigilance.  During  one  dark  night, 
some  Indians,  eluding  the  watch  of  the  sentinels,  suc- 
ceeded in  entering  the  camp  and  moving  off  sixty 
horses.  As  soon  as  the  robbery  was  discovered,  which 
had  been  the  more  easily  accomplished  because  the 
trappers,  not  apprehending  danger,  had  allowed  the 
animals  to  take  care  of  themselves,  Mr.  Young  directed 
Kit  Carson  to  take  twelve  men  with  the  remaining 
horses,  fourteen  in  number,  and  pursue  the  thieves. 
Carson,  in  obedience  to  his  orders,  immediately  started 
for  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  following  the  trail 
of  the  Indians.  After  traveling  one  hundred  miles  he 
came  up  with  the  robbers,  and  discovered  them  in  the 
act  of  feasting  upon  horse-flesh,  six  of  their  own  ani- 
mals having  been  killed  to  supply  the  viands.  Doubt- 
less stolen  fruit  made  the  feast  all  the  sweeter  to  the 
savages,  but  Kit  determined  to  mingle  a  little  of  the 
bitter  as  a  condiment  to  the  roasted  flesh.  Gathering 
his  men  well  together,  and  approaching  very  close  to 
the  foe  without  being  discovered,  he  gave  the  order  to 
charge.  His  men  needed  no  second  command.  They 
fell  upon  the  feasting  savages  like  a  thunderbolt,  scat- 
tering them  right  and  left  without  mercy.  Eight  of 
the  warriors  were  killed  in  the  short  conflict  which  en- 
sued, The  remainder  were  allowed  to  escape.  With 
some  difficulty  they  next  succeeded  in  recovering  all 
their  horses,  except  the  six  which  had  been  killed. 
With  their  horses,  and  three  children  taken  prisoners, 
they  returned  to  camp.  It  is  unnecessary  to  add  that, 
to  men  thus  isolated  in  the  wilderness,  Kit  and  his 
party  were  hailed  with  joyful  greetings  when  their 
complete  success  became  known.    To  them  their  horses 


46  GROWING   POPULARITY. 

were  like  the  good  ship  to  the  hardy  sailors  on  the 
mighty  ocean.  The  joyful  reaction  which  followed 
such  complete  success  wTas  in  ratio  to  the  fears  which 
the  continuing  suspense  had  excited. 

Kit  Carson,  though  at  that  day  a  youth  in  years  and 
experience  when  compared  with  the  other  members  of 
the  party  of  which  he  was  then  an  associate,  had  risen 
rapidly  in  the  estimation  of  all,  and  had  excited  the 
admiration  and  enlisted  in  his  behalf  the  confidence  of 
the  entire  band.  When  called  upon  to  add  his  counsel 
and  advice  to  the  general  fund  of  knowledge  offered  by 
the  trappers  concerning  any  doubtful  or  difficult  enter- 
prise, his  masterly  foresight  and  shrewdness,  as  well  as 
clearness  in  attending  to  details,  alone  gave  him  willing 
auditors.  But  it  was  the  retired  manner  and  modest 
deportment,  which  he  invariably  wore,  that  won  for  him 
the  love  of  his  associates.  Such  characteristics  failed 
not  to  surprise,  in  no  ordinary  degree,  those  who  could 
boast  a  long  life-time  of  experience  in  Indian  countries. 
Kit  Carson's  powers  of  quickly  conceiving  thoughts,  on 
difficult  emergencies,  which  pointed  out  the  safest  and 
best  plans  of  action,  "just  the  things  that  ought  to  be 
done,"  and  his  bravery,  which,  in  his  youth,  sometimes 
amounted  to  rashness,  were  the  component  parts  of  his 
ability  which  thus  caused  his  companions  to  follow  his 
leadership.  His  courage,  promptitude,  willingness,  self- 
reliance,  caution,  sympathy,  and  care  for  the  wounded, 
marked  him  at  once  as  the  master-mind  and  safest  coun- 
sellor. His  first  trapping  expedition  gained  him  so 
much  credit  that,  from  the  time  it  was  concluded,  he 
found  no  difficulty  in  joining  any  band  of  trappers,  no 
matter  how  select  the  party.  In  this  respect  the 
mountaineers  resemble  sea-faring  men,  who  invariably 


A  YOUTHFUL  HERO.  -17 

dislike  new  and  untried  hands,  because  such  are  so  apt 
to  give  more  trouble  than  assistance.  Green  hands, 
therefore,  are  treated  with  indifference  when  they  apply 
to  be  admitted  as  members  on  a  contemplated  hunt. 
The  reader  will  here  see  one  difficulty  which  had  to  be 
overcome  by  Carson,  and  which  kept  him  so  long  \k 
want  of  employment.  From  this  time  Kit  carried  a 
rifle  and  worked  from  an  experience  which  commanded 
admiration,  respect,  and  esteem  wherever  he  went,  and 
with  whatever  party  he  became  connected.  Like  the 
great  Napoleon,  when  he  joined  the  army  for  his  first 
campaign,  he  was  a  hero  in  spite  of  his  youth  among 
men  grown  gray  with  experience. 


48  EN  ROUTE  FOE  NEW  MEXICO. 


OHAPTEE   III. 

The  Return  from  California  to  New  Mexico — San  Fernando  and  the  Peublo 
of  Los  Angelos — Description  of  these  Peublos — Passports  demanded 
at  Los  Angelos — Trouble  with  the  Mexican  Authorities — Kit  Carsun 
sent  on  with  the  Pack  Animals — One  Trapper  shoots  another — The 
Mexicans  become  frightened — Indians  come  into  Camp  with  their 
Weapons  concealed — Cool  Reception  by  Kit  Carson — Paying  off  old 
Scores — Recovering  Stolen  Property — Arrival  at  Santa  Fe  and  Taos — 
Money  realized  soon  parted  with — Carson  joins  another  Expedition — 
The  Rivers  trapped  on — Four  Men  Killed  by  Blackfeet  Indians — Kit 
Carson  joins  Gaunt's  Party — The  Parks — Winter  Quarters — Crow 
Indian  Depredations — Kit  Carson  and  his  Party  in  Pursuit — The 
Fight — Winter  on  the  Arkansas — Another  Expedition — Two  Desert- 
ers— Kit  Carson  sent  in  Pursuit — The  Fate  of  the  Runaways — Adven- 
tures with  Indians — Hair-breadth  Escape  made  by  Kit  Carson. 

In  September,  Mr.  Young,  having  accomplished  all 
that  he  had  intended,  informed  his  men  that  he  was 
going  to  New  Mexico.  The  homeward  route  was 
through  most  of  the  country  over  which  they  had  pre- 
viously traveled.  The  preparations  for  the  journey 
having  been  completed,  the  party  started,  touching  on 
the  way  at  the  Mission  of  San  Fernando,  and  thence 
through  to  the  Peublo  of  Los  Angelos.  Scattered  over 
various  parts  of  the  dominion  of  Old  Mexico  are  these 
Peublos,  or  Indian  villages,  called  so  because  they  are 
inhabited  by  Indians  who  bear  that  name.  These  are 
the  true  descendants  of  the  ancient  Aztecs,  who  were 
once  the  subjects  of  the  Monte7Aimas.  They  are  usually 
a  quiet  and  industrious  race,  and  are  most  devout  in 
their  religious   worship,   according    to    the   principles, 


FIGHTING    AGAINST    FIRE-WATER.  49 

forms,  and  ceremonies  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
They  have  not  failed  to  inherit  the  superstition  of  their 
forefathers.  Notwithstanding  the  changes  which  time, 
with  its  cohorts  of  emigration,  books,  religious  teach- 
ings, association  with  other  races,  mechanics,  science 
and  art,  in  greater  or  less  degree,  has  introduced  into 
their  country,  and  accomplished  under  their  eyes,  they 
still  believe  that  some  day  their  great  chief  will  return 
to  them  ;  accordingly,  in  each  and  every  one  of  their 
towns,  they  keep  a  watch-fire  burning,  in  order,  on  his 
advent,  to  let  him  know  where  his  children  live. 

At  Los  Angelos,  the  Mexican  authorities  came  to  the 
trappers  and  demanded  their  passports.  On  finding 
that  such  articles  of  paper  authority  did  not  form  any 
part  of  a  trappers  outfit,  they  determined  to  arrest 
them.  Fear,  however,  prevented  their  determination 
from  assuming  any  very  formidable  action.  Former 
experience  in  a  similar  matter  of  official  duty  had  taught 
those  Mexicans  that  the  American  trappers  were  men 
of  a  peculiarly  resolute  nature.  Fair  and  legitimate 
means  were,  therefore,  laid  aside,  and  a  foul  policy 
adopted.  They  commenced  supplying  them  with  "  fire- 
water," thus  attacking  them  in  a  weak  point  When 
they  should  become  fully  inebriated,  they  considered 
the  matter  of  their  arrest  both  easy  and  certain. 

Mr.  Young,  seeing  the  intentions  of  the  authorities, 
and  their  underhanded  method  of  carrying  them  out, 
determined  to  thwart  them.  He  directed  Carson  to 
take  three  men,  the  loose  animals,  and  the  camp  equi- 
page, and  move  on,  with  the  instructions,  that  if  he  did 
not  soon  join  him,  to  push  on  ;  that  if  he  did  not  event- 
ually overtake  him,  to  report  in  New  Mexico  that  the 
main  party  had  been  massacred.     Young  succeeded  in 


50  SHOOTING    WITHOUT    PROVOCATION. 

collecting  his  men  as  best  he  could,  lor  they  were  yet 
sufficiently  sober  to  retain  a  little  of  their  reason.  The 
treacherous  Mexicans,  however,  continued  annoying 
the  commander  of  the  trappers  by  gratuitously  offering 
the  men  all  the  liquor  they  desired.  One  by  one,  the 
trappers  were  allowing  themselves  to  be  easily  con- 
quered, as  the  effects  of  the  liquor  began  to  be  more 
active.  They  would  soon  have  fallen  a  complete  prey 
to  their  enemies  had  not  a  most  singular  circumstance 
put  the  Mexicans  to  flight.  One  of  the  trappers,  named 
James  Higgins,  without  any  provocation  and  without 
any  excuse,  except  that  he  was  intoxicated,  shot  a  man 
named  James  Lawrence,  inflicting  a  slight  wound.  Such 
conduct  so  terrified  the  Mexicans  that  they  took  sudden 
and  precipitous  leave.  This  happened,  very  fortunately, 
before  the  party  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel, 
where  they  would  all  have  been  arrested,  and  perhaps 
killed,  by  the  Mexicans,  aided  by  parties  and  re-inforce- 
ments  at  the  mission. 

About  dark,  Young,  by  urging  his  half-drunken  men 
into  a  forced  march,  succeeded  in  overtaking  Carson. 
At  the  first  supply  of  water,  they  went  into  camp.  A 
night  of  sleep  soon  set  the  brains  of  Young's  trappers 
once  more  to  rights.  The  next  day  the  party,  most 
of  them  sufficiently  ashamed  of  their  drunken  debauch, 
commenced  with  vigor  the  homeward  march.  They 
continued  nine  days  almost  upon  their  former  track, 
when  outward  bound.  On  the  ninth  day,  they  once 
more  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  River. 

While  encamped  on  this  stream,  a  band  of  five  hun- 
dred Indians  made  their  appearance  and  entered  the 
camp.  The  rascals  professed  the  greatest  friendship 
for  the  trappers,  but  their  actions  not  fully  measuring 


AN    UNPLEASANT    SITUATION.  51 

their  words,  the  white  men  looked  to  Carson  for  advice. 
He  had  discovered  that  beneath  their  articles  of  dress 
their  weapons  were  very  carefully  concealed  ;  and 
from  this  circumstance  it  became  quite  clearly  appar- 
ent the  Indians  intended  to  massacre  the  entire  party. 
Here  Carson's  boldness  proved,  as  it  had  before,  and 
ilid  many  a  time  afterwards,  the  safety  of  himself  and 
friends  or  associates.  At  the  time  the  Indians  entered 
the  camp,  Carson,  with  only  a  few  of  the  party,  occu- 
pied it ;  the  rest  were  out  visiting  their  traps,  which 
it  was  their  general  custom  to  set  whenever  they  ar- 
rived at  a  suitable  stream.  Kit  having  thus  become 
satisfied  concerning  the  design  of  the  savages,  and 
feeling  that  the  salvation  of  the  entire  party  rested 
upon  his  courage  and  wisdom,  made  up  his  mind  that 
boldness  was  the  wisest  policy  he  could  adopt.  He 
found  present  among  the  warriors  one  who  could 
speak  the  Spanish  language.  Through  him  he  ordered 
the  red  men  "  to  leave  the  camp.  In  the  event  of 
their  not  doing  so  immediately,  he  and  his  friends 
would,  without  further  parley,  commence  hostilities, 
and  would  be  sure  each  in  killing  his  man,  although 
they  might  all  in  the  end  lose  their  own  lives." 

The  Indians  had  been  accustomed  to  act  about  as 
they  chose  with  such  small  parties  of  Mexicans  as  they 
chanced  to  meet,  and  consequently  were  taken  com- 
pletely by  surprise  at  Kit's  unusual  boldness.  Seeing 
that  they  would  inevitably  lose  several  of  their  braves 
if  they  made  any  hostile  demonstration,  they  chose  the 
discreet  part  of  best  policy,  and  departed.  As  a  gen- 
eral rule,  no  matter  what  the  profit  or  urgent  necessity 
which  chance  offers,  these  Indians  will  not  hazard  a 
contest  when,  to  a  certainty,  they  must  expect  their 


6'2  PAYING    OLD    SCORES. 

own  killed  will  equal  the  number  of  scalps  which  they 
can  obtain.  This  rule,  and  doubtless  some  fearfulness 
on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  saved  the  lives  of  the  en- 
tire band. 

As  has  already  appeared,  the  trappers  were  on  the 
banks  of  the  Colorado  at  the  time  this  affair  happened. 
They  continued  their  work  on  it,  descending  the  south 
side  until  they  reached  tide  water,  when  they  changed 
their  camp  on  to  the  Gila,  and  continued  trapping  up 
this  river  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  San  Pedro.  Near 
the  outlet  of  this  river,  they  discovered  a  large  herd  of 
horses  and  mules  ;  on  a  closer  examination,  they  found 
that  they  were  in  the  possession  of  a  band  of  Indians 
who  had  formerly  given  them  some  of  their  gratuitous 
hostilities.  Not  having  forgotten  their  former  troubles 
with  these  people,  they  determined  to  pay  them  off  in 
their  own  coin  by  depriving  them  of  the  herd.  A  short 
search  sufficed  to  discover  the  Indian  camp.  Without 
waiting  an  instant,  they  put  their  horses  to  their  speed 
and  charged  in  among  the  huts.  The  Indians  were  so 
completely  taken  by  surprise,  that  they  became  panic- 
struck  and  fled  in  every  direction.  They,  however, 
rallied  somewhat,  and  a  running  fight  commenced 
which  lasted  some  time,  but  which  did  not  change 
matters  in  favor  of  the  Indians.  The  entire  herd  fell 
into  the  possession  of  the  trappers. 

On  the  same  evening,  after  the  men  had  wrapped 
themselves  up  in  their  blankets  and  laid  down  for  a 
sleep,  and  while  enjoying  their  slumbers,  a  noise 
reached  their  ears  which  sounded  very  much  like  dis- 
tant thunder ;  but  a  close  application  of  the  sense  of 
hearing  showed  plainly  that  an  enemy  was  near  at  hand. 
Springing,  up  with  rifle  in  hand — for  generally  in  the 


RECOVERING  STOLEN  PROPERTY.         53 

mountains  a  man's  gun  rests  in  the  same  blanket  with 
himself  on  all  sleeping  occasions — they  sallied  forth  to 
reconnoitre,  and  discovered  a  few  Mrarriors  driving 
along  a  band  of  at  least  two  hundred  horses.  The 
trappers  comprehended  instantly  that  the  warriors 
had  been  to  the  Mexican  settlements  in  Sonora  on  a 
thieving  expedition,  and  that  the  horses  had  changed 
hands  with  only  one  party  to  the  bargain.  The  oppor- 
tunity to  instill  a  lesson  on  the  savage  marauders  was 
too  good  to  be  lost. 

They  saluted  the  thieves  with  a  volley  from  their 
rifles,  which,  with  the  bullet-whizzing  about  their 
heads  and  bodies,  so  astonished  them,  that  they 
seemed  almost  immediately  to  forget  their  stolen 
property,  and  to  think  only  of  a  precipitous  flight. 
In  a  few  moments  the  whites  found  themselves  mas- 
ters of  the  field,  and  also  of  the  property.  To  return 
the  animals  to  their  owners  was  an  impossibility ;  Mr. 
Young,  therefore,  selected  as  many  of  the  best  horses 
as  he  needed  for  himself  and  men,  and  game  being  very 
scarce,  killed  two  and  dried  most  of  the  meat  for  future 
use,  turning  the  remainder  loose.  Such  either  became 
wild  mustangs  or  fell  again  into  the  clutches  of  the  In- 
dians. The  company  then  renewed  their  trapping,  and 
continued  it  up  the  Gila  to  a  point  opposite  the  copper 
mines  of  New  Mexico.  Here  they  left  the  river  and 
proceeded  to  the  copper  mines,  where  they  found  Mr. 
Robert  McKnight  engaged  in  trading  with  the  neigh- 
boring Indian  tribes.  These  mines  were  not  then,  and 
ever  since  have  not  been,  worked.  The  holes  which 
had  many  years  before  been  made  by  the  miners — but 
who  they  were,  is  unknown — formed  a  safe  hiding- 
place  for  their  skins.     The  stock  of  beaver  was,  there- 


54  THE    DESERTED    MINES. 

fore,  placed  under  the  care  of  Mr.  McKnight.  Young 
and  his  men  then  renewed  their  inarch,  and  in  due 
time  arrived  safely  at  Santa  Fe.  Here  they  purchased 
licenses  to  trade  with  the  Indians  who  lived  about  the 
copper  mines.  With  these  licenses  as  protection  pa- 
pers, they  returned  to  where  the  skins  were  concealed. 
Having  once  more  recovered  their  fur,  they  returned 
with  it  to  Santa  Fe.  The  deserted  mines  of  New  Mex- 
ico show  incontrovertible  sio-ns  of  having  been  success- 
fully  and  extensively  worked,  at  some  remote  period, 
for  various  kinds  of  metals.  They  have  proved  a 
knotty  historical  problem  to  many  an  investigating 
mind  ;  for  their  authentic  history  has  fallen,  and  prob- 
ably will  ever  remain  in  oblivion.  It  may  have  been 
that  about  a  century  ago  the  Spaniards,  with  Indian 
assistants,  worked  them  ;  and  the  savages  becoming 
hostile  to  their  employers,  in  some  sudden  fit  of  frenzy 
may  have  massacred  the  Spaniards.  There  is  a  legen- 
dary story  circulating,  similar  to  the  traditions  of  the 
Indians,  giving  this  explanation.  The  more  probable 
hypothesis,  however,  is  that  the  Indians  themselves, 
many  centuries  in  the  past,  were  versed  to  some  extent 
in  the  art  of  mining,  and  carried  on  the  business  in 
these  mines;  but  from  indolence,  or,  to  them,  useless- 
ness  of  the  metals,  the  work  was  abandoned,  and  their 
descendants  failed  to  obtain  the  knowledge  which  their 
ancestors  possessed.  These  mines,  and  those  which  ex- 
ist nearer  to  the  large  towns,  will  some  day  render 
New  Mexico  a  profitable  and  rich  field  for  the  learned 
antiquary. 

The  ruse  which  Mr.  Young  found  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  employ,  in  order  to  blind  the  Mexican  author- 
ities, succeeded  so  well,  that  when  the  fur  arrived  at 


HAVING   A    "  GLORIOUS  "    TIME.  55 

Santa  Fe,  every  one  considered  the  trappers  had  made 
a  very  good  trade.  The  amount  of  beaver  thus  brought 
in  amounted  to  two  thousand  pounds.  The  market 
price  was  twelve  dollars  per  pound.  The  proceeds, 
therefore,  of  the  entire  trip,  were  nearly  twenty-four 
thousand  dollars.  The  division  of  this  handsome  sum 
gave  to  each  man  several  hundred  dollars.  It  was 
during  the  month  of  April,  1830,  that  Mr.  Young's 
party  again  reached  the  town  of  Taos.  Here  they  dis- 
banded, having  completed  their  enterprise.  Like  as 
Jack,  when  he  returns  from  his  battles  with  old  ocean, 
having  a  pocket  well  lined  with  hard  earnings,  fails 
not  to  plunge  into  excess,  with  the  determination  to 
make  up  for  the  pleasure  lost  by  years  of  toil,  the  brave 
mountaineers  courted  merry-making.  From  their  own 
accounts,  they  passed  a  short  time  gloriously.  This 
similarity  of  disposition  between  trappers  and  sailors, 
in  regard  to  pleasure's  syren  cup  and  its  consequent 
draft  upon  their  treasures,  causing  them  to  forget  the 
risk  of  life  and  limb  and  the  expense  of  their  valuable 
time,  is  most  remarkable.  These  hardy  trappers,  like 
reliable  old  salts,  proved  to  be  as  true  to  the  bowl  as 
they  had  been  to  their  steel ;  for,  most  of  the  party,  in 
a  very  brief  space  of  time,  were  penniless  and  ready  to 
be  fitted  out  for  another  expedition.  Young  Kit,  at 
this  period  of  his  life,  imitated  the  example  set  by  his 
elders,  for  he  wished  to  be  considered  by  them  as  an 
equal  and  a  friend.  He,  however,  passed  through  this 
terrible  ordeal,  which  most  frequently  ruins  its  votary, 
and  eventually  came  out  brighter,  clearer  and  more  no- 
ble for  the  conscience-polish  which  he  received.  He 
contracted  no  bad  habits,  but  learned  the  usefulness  and 
happiness  of  resisting  temptation,  and  became  so  well 


56  MURDERED    BY    BLACKFEET. 

schooled  that  he  was  able,  by  the  caution  and  advice 
of  wisdom  founded  on  experience,  to  prevent  many 
a  promising  and  skillful  hand  from  grasping  ruin  in 
the  same  vortex. 

The  scenes  of  pleasure  lasted  until  the  fall  of  1830. 
Kit  then  joined  his  second  trapping  expedition.  This 
band  had  been  formed  lor  the  purpose  of  trapping  the 
principal  streams  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Mr.  Fitz- 
patrick,  a  trapper  well  known  and  respected  by  the 
mountaineers,  had  charge  of  the  party.  He  was,  at 
that  time,  well  acquainted  by  experience  with  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  has,  since  then,  gained  an  envi- 
able fame  as  an  Indian  agent.  The  new  part}'  traveled 
north  and  commenced  operations  on  the  Platte  River, 
which  the}'  followed  down  stream  to  one  of  its  tribu- 
taries, the  Sweet  Water  River.  From  here  they  worked 
on  until  they  reached  the  Green  River.  Hence  they 
journeyed  to  Jackson's  Hole,  which  is  a  fork  of  the 
Great  Columbia  River.  After  making  a  short  stay  at 
this  point  they  started  for  the  Salmon  River.  Here 
they  were  joined  by  a  band  of  their  own  party,  who 
had  left  Taos  some  days  in  advance  of  the  main  body, 
and  for  whom  they  were  then  hunting.  The  whole 
party,  as  now  organized,  remained  where  they  were 
throughout  the  winter  of  1830  and  1831,  employed  in 
killing  only  the  amount  of  game  necessary  for  their 
sustenance.  An  unfortunate  affair  here  happened  to 
them.  Four  of  their  men,  while  hunting  buffalo,  were 
attacked  and  killed  by  a  party  of  Blackfeet  Indians. 
No  other  incident  occurred  during  the  winter  to 
change  the  everyday  routine. 

In  April,  1831,  they  recommenced  trapping,  shaping 
their  course  for  Snake  River.     Nothing  can  equal  the 


MAGNIFICENT    SCENERY.  59 

magnificence  and  grandeur  of  the  country  through 
which  they  were  now  traveling.  Shoshonee  Falls, 
situated  on  Shoshonee  or  Snake  River,  are  in  many 
respects  vastly  more  beautiful  and  attractive  than 
Niagara.  The  torrent  is  less,  and  its  crescent-summit 
appears  less  than  a  thousand  feet  wide ;  but  the  de- 
scent is  more  than  one-third  greater,  being  over  two 
hundred  feet;  while  above  the  brink,  grand  and  im- 
posing monuments  of  lava  rise  hundreds  of  feet  on 
each  bank,  supplying  an  element  of  grandeur  which 
the  monarch  of  cataracts  does  not  possess.  The  fall 
itself  is  of  the  purest  white,  interspersed  with  myriads 
of  sparkling,  glassy  drops — a  cataract  of  snow  with  an 
avalanche  of  jewels.  "  Mocking  and  belittering  all  hu- 
man splendor,  Nature  is  here  in  her  lace  and  pearls, — 
her  robe  of  diamonds  and  tiara  of  rainbow."  Carson 
often  spoke  of  these  falls  as  being  the  grandest  of  any 
he  had  ever  seen. 

From  Snake  River,  they  worked  down  to  Bear 
River,  which  is  the  principal  stream  that  empties  into 
Great  Salt  Lake.  Thence  they  returned  to  Green 
River,  where  they  found  some  trappers  under  the  com- 
mand of  Mr.  Sinclair,  who  left  New  Mexico  soon  after 
Mr.  Fitzpatrick's  party,  and  had  wintered  on  the  Bear 
River.  Among  many  other  facts,  they  learned  from 
this  party  that  Captain  Gaunt,  who  was  an  old  moun- 
taineer, well  known  to  most  of  the  whites  present,  had 
passed  the  winter  on  the  Laramie  River,  and  that  he 
was  then  with  his  men  in  the  South  Park.  Kit  Carson 
and  four  of  his  companions  determined  to  join  him. 
For  this  purpose  they  started,  and,  after  ten  days  of 
steady  travel,  found  his  party. 

There  are  many  of  these  Parks  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 


60  BEAUTIFUL    PAKKS. 

tains,  and  they  are  a  distinctive  and  remarkable  feature 
of  this  mountain  centre  of  Colorado.  As  their  namcH 
imply,  they  are  fair,  natural  examples  of  the  manufac- 
tured parks  of  civilization.  In  some  tilings,  Nature  has 
lavished  upon  them  charms  and  beauties  which  no 
human  skill  can  imitate.  Most  of  these  Parks  are,  of 
course,  petite — little  wide  valleys  around  the  heads  of 
single  streams,  or  the  conjunctions  of  several,  or  the 
homes  of  lonely  lakes  ;  but  there  are  four  great 
ones,  that  mark  the  phenomenon  and  give  the  name. 
These  are  North  Park,  Middle  Park,  South  Park,  and 
San  Luis  Park,  varying  in  size  from  twenty  by  fifty 
miles,  to  one  hundred  b4y  two  hundred,  or,  say,  from 
Rhode  Island  to  Massachusetts.  These  Parks  are 
favorite  haunts  of  the  deer,  antelope,  and  elk>  while  the 
streams  which  run  through  them  are  well  stocked  with 
otter  and  beaver. 

Kit  and  his  companions  were  graciously  received  by 
Gaunt ;  and  with  him  they  trapped  the  streams  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  North  Park  and  the  plains  of  Laramie  to 
the  south  fork  of  the  Platte.  Having  finished  here,  they 
left  for  the  Arkansas,  remaining  there  while  their  cap- 
tain went  to  Taos  to  dispose  of  their  stock  of  furs  and 
to  make  such  purchases  of  necessaries  as  the  men  re- 
quired. Gaunt  returned  after  an  absence  of  two  months, 
when  trapping  operations  were  resumed  on  the  Arkansas 
River,  which  they  trapped  until  it  froze  over.  The 
party  then  went  into  winter  quarters. 

The  business  of  trapping  for  beaver  is  no  child's  play. 
A  person  unaccustomed  to  it  may  possibly  look  upon  it 
as  no  very  difficult  task.  A  single  trial  is  usually  suffi- 
cient to  satisfy  the  uninitiated  on  this  point ;  for,  the 
beaver,  above  all  other  wild  animals  of  America,  is  en- 


INDIANS    VS.    BEAVER.  61 

flowed  with  an  extraordinary  amount  of  instinct.  His 
handiwork  and  habits  sufficiently  attest  this. 

There  are  bands  of  Indians  living  in  the  north-west- 
ern part  of  America  who  really  believe  that  the  beaver 
has  almost  as  much  intelligence  as  an  Indian,  holding 
and  maintaining  that  all  the  difference  that  exists  be- 
tween a  beaver  and  an  Indian  is,  that  the  latter  has 
been  endowed  by  the  Great  Spirit  with  power  and 
capabilities  to  catch  the  former.  Some  of  the  stories 
which  old  mountaineers  occasionally  inflict  upon  an  in- 
quisitive traveler  are  somewhat  startling ;  nevertheless, 
wThat  this  amphibious  animal  really  performs  is  truly 
astounding,  and  oftentimes  the  truth  fails  to  gain  cre- 
dence. 

During  the  winter  the  trappers  had  many  very 
pleasant  times,  for  they  had  little  work  beyond  the 
task  of  making  themselves  comfortable.  The  snow 
fell  to  a  great  depth,  which  proved  rather  hard  for 
their  animals.  By  dint  of  cutting  down  cotton-wood 
trees  and  gathering  the  bark  and  branches  for  fodder, 
they  managed  to  prevent  them  from  dying  of  starva- 
tion. The  buffalo  existed  about  there  in  great  abun- 
dance ;  and,  early  in  the  winter,  they  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  kill  and  prepare  a  large  supply  of  this 
kind  of  game,  wThile  it  was  in  good  condition.  As  the 
season  advanced,  therefore,  the  trappers  found  them- 
selves living  quite  sumptuously. 

In  the  month  of  January,  the  daily  routine  of  their 
lives  was  rather  unpleasantly  disturbed.  A  party  of 
fifty  Crow  Indians  made  an  unfriendly  visit  to  their 
camp  on  one  very  dark  night.  They  succeeded  in 
stealing  nine  of  their  loose  animals,  with  which  they 
escaped   unperceived.     Early  the   next  morning,   the 


62  CROW    INDIAN    DEPREDATIONS. 

signs  of  the  Indians  were  discovered.  Kit  Carson, 
with  twelve  of  his  companions,  immediately  saddled 
their  horses  and  started  in  pursuit.  It  was  very  diffi- 
cult to  follow  the  trail  of  the  Indians,  from  the  fact 
that  many  herds  of  buffalo  had  crossed  and  repeatedly 
recrossed  it  during  the  night,  making  the  tracks  very 
indistinct.  Having  traveled  forty  miles,  their  horses, 
which  were  very  poor  in  flesh,  became  fatigued,  caus- 
ing them  to  think  of  making  a  halt.  After  due  con- 
sulfation,  it  was  agreed  that  they  had  best  go  into 
camp.  With  this  object  in  view,  they  traveled  towards 
some  timber  which  was  near  by.  On  arriving  at  the 
woods,  the  advance  of  the  party,  to  their  surprise  and 
not  less  to  their  satisfaction,  discovered  the  smoke  of 
their  enemies'  fires.  The  distance  between  the  parties 
was  inconsiderable  ;  but,  in  order  that  their  move- 
ments might  be  made  unobserved,  the  trappers  re- 
treated to  a  secluded  spot  where  they  awaited  the 
night,  judging  it  best  to  take  the  party  by  surprise. 
Their  first  care  was  to  secure  and  provide  for  their 
animals.  The  second  was  to  prepare  their  arms.  As 
soon  as  it  would  do  for  them  to  move,  they  started, 
eager  for  the  strife.  It  was  judged  best  first  to  make 
a  half  circuit  and  then  approach  the  Indians  from  the 
direction  they  themselves  were  traveling,  as  from  this 
source,  they  wisely  judged  the  red  men  would  be  less 
apprehensive  of  an  attack.  Their  movements  were 
made  slowly  and  with  great  care,  in  order  not  to 
alarm  the  savages.  Having  obtained  a  position  close 
enough  to  observe  the  strength  of  their  enemies,  they 
stopped  to  reconnoitre.  The  men  then  crept  for  a 
long  distance  on  their  hands  and  knees,  until  finally 
they  obtained  a  full  view  of  the  Indians,  which  showed 


AFTER    THE    THIEVES.  63 

them  that  the  savages  had  erected  two  rough  forts  and 
that  they  were  now  divided  into  two  parties.  A  dance 
was  in  progress  in  honor  of  the  robbery  so  recently 
perpetrated,  which  proved,  conclusively,  that  they 
were  without  even  a  suspicion  of  danger.  Just  out- 
side one  of  the  forts,  the  nine  stolen  animals  were  se- 
curely tied.  This  sight  did  not  tend  to  allay  the  wrath 
of  the  trappers.  They  resolved  that,  come  what  might, 
the  attempt  to  regain  their  property  and  punish  the  In- 
dians should  be  made  notwithstanding  their  strength. 
To  insure  success  in  spite  of  their  weakness,  they  de- 
termined to  conceal  themselves  and  wait  quietly  until 
the  Indians  had  lain  down  for  sleep.  During  this  time 
of  suspense  the  trappers  were  subjected  to  great  suf- 
fering, for  the  weather  was  intensely  cold,  and  they 
possessed  but  a  scanty  allowance  of  clothing  fit  for 
such  work.  But  as  there  is  an  end  to  all  things,  there 
was  an  end  to  the  dance  and  other  festivities,  and  the 
savages  sought  their  rest.  At  last  the  time  for  action 
arrived.  Kit  Carson  and  five  of  his  companions  com- 
menced crawling  towards  the  stolen  horses,  which,  on 
reaching,  were  easily  set  free  by  cutting  their  halters. 
They  then  threw  snow-balls  at  them,  and  by  this 
means  drove  them  away  without  disturbing  the  sleep- 
ing Indians.  The  trappers  who  acted  as  a  reserve 
party  soon  after  joined  Kit  and  his  companions  ;  and, 
after  retreating  some  distance  in  order  to  be  out  of  the 
hearing  of  the  enemy,  they  held  a  council  to  obtain 
the  views  of  each  member  of  the  party  as  to  their 
next  step.  It  appeared  that  a  difference  of  opinion 
existed  ;  some  of  the  men  were  in  favor  of  returning, 
having  recovered  their  property  and  sustained  no  dam- 
age.    The  remainder,  those  who  had  lost  no  animals, 


64  THE    MINORITY    RULES. 

wanted  satisfaction  for  the  trouble  and  hardship  they 
had  undergone  while  in  pursuit  of  the  thieves.  Kit 
Carson  and  two  others  composed  this  latter  party,  and 
thus  were  determined  to  punish  the  thieves,  let  the 
consequences  of  the  attempt  be  ever  so  fatal.  The 
more  peaceful  party,  seeing  this  earnestness,  could  not 
do  otherwise  than  lend  their  aid  in  the  fight,  and 
cheerfully  did  so. 

There  always  existed  such  a  feeling  of  brotherly  love 
among  the  old  trappers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  that 
the  hour  of  peril  was  never  the  hour  for  separation  or 
desertion.  This  instance  affords  a  fair  example  how 
the  minority  could  easily  rule  the  majority  when  the 
minority  held  to  the  side  of  danger.  The  whole  band 
were  now  unanimous  in  favor  of  the  attack. 

Kit  Carson,  who  had  from  the  first  acted  as  captain, 
ordered  three  men  to  take  the  recovered  animals  back 
to  where  they  had  secured  their  saddle-horses.  Then, 
with  his  comrades,  he  marched  directly  for  the  Indian 
camp.  A  dog  belonging  to  the  enemy  first  gave  the 
alarm  of  approaching  danger  to  the  Indians,  but  not 
until  Kit  and  his  party  were  within  a  few  paces  of  the 
first  fort.  As  soon  as  the  occupants  of  the  fort  heard 
the  noise  they  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  thus  became 
fair  marks  for  the  unerring  rifles  of  the  trappers.  The 
whites  did  not  throw  away  a  single  shot ;  every  ball 
struck  a  warrior  in  some  vital  spot.  Those  wTho  sur- 
vived retreated  to  the  fort  occupied  by  their  friends, 
and,  as  soon  as  possible,  commenced  returning  the  fire  ; 
but  without  execution,  as  the  trappers,  on  discharging 
their  first  volley,  had  well  concealed  themselves  behind 
trees,  from  whence  they  were  shooting  only  when  sure 
of  an  object.     It  was  now  nearly  daybreak,  and,  as  the 


A   DESPERATE    FIGHT.  65 

savages  discovered  the  weakness  of  the  attacking  party, 
they  resolved  to  charge,  feeling  sure  of  success.  They 
did  so ;  but  the  white  men,  who  were  expert  fighters  in 
this  kind  of  warfare,  quietly  waited  until  the  Indians 
were  fully  exposed.  They  then  fired  and  killed  five 
warriors.  The  remainder  immediately  retreated  into 
the  fort. 

After  considerable  deliberation,  the  Indians  decided 
once  more  to  make  a  sortie.  On  they  came,  and  this 
time  with  such  determination  that  the  trappers  could 
not  withstand  the  assault,  but  were  compelled  to  retreat. 
They  disputed,  however,  every  inch  of  ground  over 
which  they  trod,  as  they  fell  back  from  one  tree  to 
another,  continually  making  their  bullets  tell  with  ter- 
rible effect  on  their  foes.  The  three  men  who  had  been 
sent  back  with  the  horses  had  joined  their  comrades 
soon  after  they  had  commenced  retreating.  They  had 
heard  the  incessant  firing  and  had  become  convinced 
that  the  fight  was  hotly  contested  and  that  their  ser- 
vices were  required.  On  their  joining,  the  whole  party 
resolved  to  make  one  more  stand,  and  as  soon  as  the 
Indians  saw  this,  they  wavered  and  finally  drew  off. 
Both  sides  had  now,  seemingly,  had  enough  of  fight- 
ing, and  hostilities  soon  after  entirely  ceased,  the 
savages  marching  back  and  leaving  the  whites  masters 
of  the  field.  Several  of  the  trappers  were  slightly,  but 
none  dangerously,  wounded.  The  Indians  had  paid 
dearly,  in  numbers  killed,  for  their  rascality.  Finding 
the  coast  clear,  Carson  and  his  men  set  out  and  soon 
rejoined  their  comrades  on  the  Arkansas  River.  In  the 
Spring,  after  having  cached  their  fur,  the  whole  band 
departed  for  Laramie  River  on  another  expedition. 

While  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Platte,  two  of  the 


66  THIEVING   DESERTERS. 

party  deserted,  taking  with  them  three  of  their  best 
animals.  Suspecting  their  design,  Gaunt  sent  Kit  Car- 
son and  another  man  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives,  who 
had  one  day  the  start.  As  was  suspected,  the  two  de- 
serters had  gone  to  the  camp  where  the  beaver  fur  was 
concealed  and  buried.  Thev  had  succeeded  in  di«;o;m£ 
it  up  and  stealing  about  three  hundred  pounds  of  this 
valuable  property,  belonging  to  the  company  in  general, 
share  and  share  alike.  Carson  and  his  companion  failed 
entirely  in  their  efforts  to  find  the  two  men.  Doubt- 
less they  never  lived  to  enjoy  their  ill-gotten  wealth  ; 
for,  notwithstanding  careful  search  was  made,  the  men 
were  never  heard  from  afterwards.  It  is  probable  that 
they  were  killed  by  Indians,  a  fate  which  they,  at  least, 
richly  merited. 

This  old  camp,  the  reader  wiU  please  bear  in  mind, 
was  on  the  Arkansas  River.  Kit  Carson  and  his  com- 
rade, after  finding  that  the  two  deserters  had  thus  suc- 
ceeded in  stealing  the  fur  which  had  been  buried  by 
the  company,  made  every  further  effort  which  lay  in 
their  power  to  recover  it.  As  has  also  been  seen,  they 
were  unsuccessful.  It  now  remained  for  them  to  deter- 
mine their  future  course.  The  country  was  so  infested 
with  hostile  Indians  that  it  made  their  position,  thus 
alone,  very  precarious.  To  regain  their  commander's 
company  w7as  almost  impracticable  ;  at  least,  without  a 
more  important  object  to  make  the  risk  necessary,  it 
was  a  foolhardy  attempt  Time  in  learning  the  loss 
was  of  no  great  importance  either  to  their  leader  or 
their  party.  Sooner  or  later  this,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
would  be  fully  shown.  Kit  and  his  comrade,  there- 
fore, determined  to  remain  where  they  were,  in  the  old 
camp  ;  and,  to   this  end,  immediately  arranged  every 


A   PERILOUS    POSITION.  67 

f>hing  so  that  they  could  make  a  successful  defence  in 
case  they  should  be  attacked  by  the  savages.  They 
did  not  dare  to  venture  out  far  from  their  fortifications  ; 
but  this  was  no  great  trial  to  them,  as  game  existed 
in  great  plenty  and  came  very  near  their  rude  fort. 
While  one  slept,  the  other  stood  on  guard.  It  was  their 
intention  to  await  the  return  of  their  party  ;  but,  at  the 
expiration  of  one  month,  they  were  quite  happily  re- 
lieved from  their  perilous  position.  Mr.  Black  well, 
Mr.  Gaunt's  partner,  arrived  from  the  United  States. 
He  was  accompanied  by  fifteen  men,  and  brought  with 
him  a  complete  outfit  for  the  entire  band.  Kit  and  his 
comrade  had  been  expecting  and  were  anxiously  look- 
ing for  this  party.  They  were  also  made  quite  happy 
in  obtaining  the  articles  of  outfit  which  would  render 
their  wild  life  more  agreeable  and  easy.  Shortly  after 
this  arrival,  four  men  from  the  trapping  party  came 
into  camp  and  brought  the  news  as  to  the  whereabouts 
of  Gaunt  and  his  men.  They  were  overjoyed  at  find- 
ing Kit  and  his  comrade,  as  they  said  that  they  had 
hunted  for  them  in  all  directions,  and,  finally,  had  given 
up  all  hopes  of  ever  seeing  them  again.  The  whole 
party  now  began  the  inarch  to  join  Gaunt  at  the  Ballo 
Salado.* 

These  springs  form  the  head  waters  of  the  south 
fork  of  the  River  Platte.  When  four  days'  journey 
had  been  accomplished,  and  while  they  were  partaking 
of  their  breakfast  in  the  camp,  an  alarm  of  Indians  was 
given  by  one  of  the  men.  He  had  accidentally  discov- 
ered the  red-skin  rascals  as  they  were  prowling  about 
the  camp.  A  rush  was  immediately  made  by  the  trap- 
pers, with  rifles  in  hand,  to  save  their  horses.     Shots 

*  Salt  Springs. 


C8  TOO    POLITE    TO    STAY. 

were  fired  and  one  Indian  fell.  The  rest  of  the  band 
made  off  as  empty-handed  as  they  came,  with  one  ex- 
ception. One  brave  had  succeeded  in  capturing  and 
mounting  a  horse  before  the  white  men  could  reach 
him.  Notwithstanding  he  had  a  dead  brother  lying  on 
the  ground,  he  appeared  to  be  altogether  too  polite 
to  make  the  trappers  a  longer  visit ;  at  least,  without 
a  proper  introduction.  On  the  contrary,  he  galloped 
off,  seemingly  quite  proud  of  his  trophy.  Had  it  not 
been  that  the  trappers  had  taken  the  precaution  to 
hobble  their  horses  before  turning  them  out  to 
graze,  they  would  have  lost  them  all  in  this  at- 
tempted stampede. 

These  stampedes  are  a  source  of  great  profit  to  the 
Indians  of  the  Plains.  It  is  by  this  means  they  de- 
prive the  caravans  of  their  animals.  The  Camanches 
are  particularly  expert  and  daring  in  this  kind  of  rob- 
bery.  They  even  train  horses  to  run  from  one  given 
point  to  another  in  expectancy  of  caravans.  When  a 
camp  is  made  which  is  nearly  in  range,  they  turn  their 
trained  animals  loose,  who  at  once  fly  across  the  plain, 
penetrating  and  passing  through  the  camp  of  their  vic- 
tims. All  of  the  picketed  animals  will  endeavor  to  fol- 
low, and  usuallv  succeed  in  following  the  trained  horses. 
Such  are  invariably  led  into  the  haunts  of  the  thieves, 
who  easily  secure  them.  Young  horses  and  mules  are 
easily  frightened ;  and,  in  the  havoc  which  generally 
ensues,  oftentimes  great  injury  is  done  to  the  runaways 
themselves.  The  sight  of  a  stampede  on  a  grand  scale 
requires  steady  nerves  to  witness  without  tremor;  and, 
woe  to  the  footman  who  cannot  get  out  of  the  way 
when  the  frightened  animals  come  along.  At  times, 
when  the  herd  is  very  large,  the  horses  scatter  over 


TERRORS    OF    A    STAMPEDE.  t)9 

the  open  country  and  are  irrecoverably  lost ;  and,  such 
as  do  not  become  wild,  fall  a  prey  to  the  ravenous 
wolves.  Such,  most  frequently,  is  the  fate  of  stam- 
peded horses  which  have  been  bred  in  the  States,  not 
being  trained  by  a  prairie-life  experience  to  take  care 
of  themselves.  Instead  of  bravely  stopping  and  fight- 
ing off  the  wolves,  they  run.  The  whole  pack  are  sure 
to  leave  the  bolder  animals  and  make  for  the  runaways, 
which  they  seldom  fail  to  overtake  and  dispatch.  Some 
years  since,  one  of  these  stampedes  occurred  on  the 
plains  of  a  band  of  horses,  in  which  there  were  several 
hundred  valuable  animals.  It  was  attended  with  very 
heavy  loss  to  the  owners.  Through  the  courage  and 
great  exertions  of  those  who  had  the  animals  in  charge, 
many  were  recovered,  but  none  without  having  sus- 
tained more  or  less  injury. 

A  favorite  policy  of  the  Indian  horse  thieves  is  to 
creep  into  camp,  cut  loose  one  animal  and  thoroughly 
frighten  him.  This  animal  seldom  fails  to  frighten 
the  remainder,  when  away  they  all  go,  with  long  ropes 
and  picket  pins  dangling  after  them.  The  latter  some- 
times act  like  harpoons,  being  thrown  with  such  impe- 
tus as  to  strike  and  instantly  kill  a  valuable  steed 
from  among  the  brother  runaways.  At  other  times, 
the  limbs  of  the  running  horses  get  entangled  in  the 
ropes,  when  they  are  suddenly  thrown.  Such  seldom 
escape  without  broken  legs  or  severe  contusions,  which 
are  often  incurable.  The  necessity  of  traveling  on,  at 
any  rate,  renders  it  an  impossibility  to  undertake  the 
cure,  when  it  might  be  practicable  under  other  cir- 
cumstances. 

The  day  of  the  attempted  stampede,  the  party  trav- 
eled fifty  miles,  and  thought  themselves  well  clear  of 


70  RECONCILED    TO    RATTLESNAKES. 

their  treacherous  enemy,  as  there  were  no  visible  signs 
of  their  presence.  The  experience  of  the  clay,  how- 
ever, had  admonished  them  to  be  on  their  guard  against 
surprise.  To  make  things  sure  as  to  their  animals, 
they  fastened  them  to  stakes  driven  in  the  earth,  suf- 
ficient rope  being  given  them  for  grazing.  The  place 
selected  for  their  camp  was  a  beautiful  spot,  being  on 
a  small  stream  which  empties  into  the  Arkansas,  the 
water  of  which  is  sparkling  and  clear.  There  are 
many  of  these  charming  little  brooks  which,  empiying 
into,  form  this  river.  To  the  general  traveler,  how- 
ever, they  present  one  great  drawback  as  eligible 
camping  sites.  Their  banks  are  usually  pretty  thickly 
lined  with  rattlesnakes.  The  mountaineer  is  quite  well 
accustomed  and  reconciled  to  this  venomous  reptile,  as 
they  abound  in  nearly  every  section  of  his  hunting  and 
trapping  grounds.  Not  so,  however,  with  the  mere  vis- 
itor of,  or  casual  traveler  over,  the  Western  Territories. 
To  them  his  rattlesnakeship  is  a  formidable  personage. 
The  rattlesnake  rarelv  moves  after  sunset.  The  night 
air  is  generally  too  chilling  for  him.  In  the  day- 
time they  are  a  noble  enemy,  always  warning  their 
antagonists  of  their  hostile  intentions  by  springing 
their  rattles,  thus  giving  a  person  warning  of  his 
danger.  By  these  two  wise  provisions  of  the  Creator, 
the  power  of  this  otherwise  terrible  reptile  is  so  lim- 
ited or  restrained,  that  the  trapper  rarely  gives  him  a 
thought  unless  he  comes  in  direct  contact.  Although 
they  are  so  numerous,  it  very  seldom  happens  that 
either  the  Indian  or  the  trapper  is  bitten  by  them. 

The  party  had  not  been  long  at  rest  before  their  sus- 
picions were  aroused  that  hostile  Indians  were  near 
them.     A  faithful  dog  belonging  to  the  camp  kept  up 


ATTACKED    BY   INDIANS.  71 

a  furious  barking,  much  more  lustily  than  when  wolves 
annoyed  him.  An  extra  guard  was  therefore  imme- 
diately posted,  when  the  remainder  of  the  party  lay 
down  ;  but,  not  for  sleep  They  expected  at  every 
moment  that  their  services  would  be  needed  to  defend 
the  camp.  Everything,  however,  passed  as  usurl  dur- 
ing the  night;  and,  with  the  morning,  all  suspicion 
was  laid  aside.  Kit  Carson,  with  three  companions, 
proposed  a  visit  to  a  fork  of  a  river  close  by,  to  look 
for  signs  of  beaver.  They  had  been  informed  that 
these  animals  were  numerous  in  this  particular  stream. 
Carson  and  the  three  men  had  been  absent  about  one 
hour  when  the  signs  of  Indians  proved  to  be  realities, 
in  the  shape  of  a  bold  and  well-sustained  charge  upon 
their  camp.  The  rascals  succeeded  in  running  off  all 
of  their  loose  animals. 

Four  of  the  men  immediately  saddled  the  fleetest  of 
the  remaining  horses,  and  instantly  gave  chase.  After 
a  quick  run  they  came  upon  the  savages,  and  immedi- 
ately gave  them  battle.  A  sharp  skirmish  ensued,  in 
tvhich  one  of  the  warriors  was  killed,  when  the  remain- 
der fled,  leaving  the  property  once  more  in  the  hands 
of  its  rightful  owners.  The  men,  however,  did  not 
come  off  entirely  safe.  One  of  them  received  a  very 
severe  wound,  which  eventually  gave  him  considerable 
difficulty,  but  from  the  effects  of  which  he  finally  re- 
covered. 

Kit  and  his  companions,  in  the  meantime,  in  order 
to  reach  their  destination,  found  it  necessary,  unless 
they  should  take  a  long  and  circuitous  route,  to  cross 
one  of  those  lofty  peaks  for  which  the  Rocky  Mountains 
are  so  famous.  The  ascent  was,  however,  commenced 
and  successfully  accomplished ;  but,  not  without  labor 


72  UNSUCCESSFUL    TRAPPING. 

and  an  occasional  resting-place  being  sought  for  breath- 
ing their  animals.  In  clue  time,  they  reached  the  desired 
stream;  but  the  beaver  signs  did  not  appear.  Finding 
their  errand  had  proved  entirely  useless,  they  started 
to  return  into  camp.  Experience  had  taught  them 
that  the  longest  way  round  was,  in  this  case,  the 
quickest  way  home.  Taking,  therefore,  a  circuitous 
route,  they  avoided  recrossing  the  lofty  mountain 
peak  already  alluded  to.  As  they  were  riding  care- 
lessly homeward,  beguiling  the  time  with  anecdote  and 
remark  upon  their  future  prospects,  or  the  scenery 
around  them,  with  an  occasional  sight  at  some  kind  of 
game,  what  should  appear  ahead  of  them  but  four  In- 
dian warriors,  remarkably  well  mounted,  painted  and 
decked  with  feathers,  showing,  conclusively,  that  they 
were  out  upon  the  war-path  As  soon  as  Kit  and  his 
companions  saw  the  warriors,  and  without  one  word  as 
to  their  proper  and  best  action  being  interchanged, 
they  simultaneously  put  spurs  to  their  horses  and 
dashed  at  the  Indians  in  order  quickly  to  bring  them 
within  range  of  their  rifles.  The  pace  became  a  hot 
one;  but,  as  suddenly  as  the  charge  had  been  com- 
menced, so  suddenly  the  trappers  found  that  they  had, 
this  time,  "caught  a  Tartar;"  for,  as  they  dashed  on, 
sixty  warriors,  fully  armed  and  splendidly  mounted, 
came  into  view  from  beneath  a  hill  where  they  were 
awaiting  in  ambush. 

There  was  but  one  course  for  the  trappers  to  take, 
and  that  was  to  run  the  gauntlet,  which  they  did  in  gal- 
lant style,  although  twenty  yards  would  have  frequently 
measured  the  distance  between  them  and  the  hostile 
savages.  The  bullets  from  the  rifles  of  the  Indians 
flew  about  their  ears  thick  and  fast,  for  a  heavy  fire  was 


RUNNING    THE    GAUNTLET.  73 

opened  upon  them,  as  they  passed,  and  incessantly  kept 
up  until  they  were  out  of  their  reach.  The  trappers 
did  not  return  a  shot.  It  would  not  have  been  accord- 
ing to  their  custom.  There  is  no  one  thing  Simon- 
pure  trappers  consider  to  be  a  greater  folly  than  firing 
their  rifles  on  such  an  occasion  as  is  here  described. 
There  is  nothing  they  so  much  dread  as  being  left  on 
foot  with  an  empty  gun  and  no  time  to  load,  when  per- 
haps a  single  shot  might  change  defeat  into  victory, 
sure  captivity  into  freedom,  or  a  dead  companion  into  a 
laughing,  jolly  and  lovable  helpmate,  ready  for  setting 
a  trap  or  to  engage  in  the  next  bloody  skirmish.  This 
must  inevitably  happen  if,  after  the  rider  has  fired, 
among  the  score  or  so  of  passing  bullets,  one  of  them, 
perchance,  took  a  peculiar  fancy  for  a  vital  organ  of 
his  horse.  The  mortally  wounded  animal  would  make 
no  account  of  dismounting  his  master  and  leaving  him 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  refined  savages.  In  every 
close  and  unequal  contest,  such  as  above  detailed,  they 
only  think  of  the  surest  and  speediest  method  of  escape, 
leaving  revenge  to  be  obtained  on  some  more  fitting 
and  favorable  occasion.  For  some  unaccountable  rea- 
son the  savages  did  not  give  chase. 

As  soon  as  Carson  and  his  comrades  had  got  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  Indians,  they  began  to  recall  the  sus- 
picions concerning  signs  of  Indians  which  their  faithful 
dog  had  aroused.  Fears  for  the  safety  of  their  com- 
panions arose  accordingly.  Therefore,  giving  spurs  to 
their  horses,  they  pushed  on  with  vigor  to  know  the 
worst.  The  facts  that  awaited  them  at  camp  concern- 
ing the  attack  by  the  Indians,  stealing  and  rescue  of  the 
horses,  gave  them,  therefore,  but  little  surprise.  They 
had  already  surmised  the  reason  why  the  Indians  had 


74  AWAITING    AN    OPPORTUNITY. 

thus  set  a  trap  for  them.  Having  been  watching  the 
camp  during  the  night,  and  finding  the  white  men  fully 
on  the  alert  and  carefully  guarding  against  any  sur- 
prise, they  had  quietly  waited  until  suspicion  of  their 
proximity  had  been  entirely  laid  aside.  The  departure 
of  Carson  and  his  companions  from  camp  was  doubtless 
seen  by  the  savages,  and  afforded  them  a  clear  proof 
that  the  white  men  had  forgotten  their  fears.  As  Kit's 
departure  with  the  men  weakened  the  camp  party,  the 
Indians  had  gathered  together  sufficient  courage  to 
make  a  bold  charge  for  the  coveted  plunder.  The  final 
result,  however,  which  led  to  their  losing  the  stolen 
property,  and  the  life  of  one  of  their  braves,  had  caused 
them  to  think  of  an  attack  upon  Kit's  party,  thus  ob- 
taining by  its  massacre,  revenge  for  their  dead  com- 
panion ;  and  the  horses  which  Kit  and  his  comrades 
rode  would  have  been  a  consolation  for  their  failure 
to  retain  the  horses  obtained  at  the  camp.  The  attack 
was  skillfully  planned,  and  would  undoubtedly  have 
succeeded  but  for  the  unexpected  daring  and  prompti- 
tude displayed  by  Kit  and  his  comrades.  The  Indians 
had  not  looked  for  the  bold  charge  upon  their  advance 
party,  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  had  been  prepared  for 
a  chase  and  fight  in  the  opposite  direction.  Had  such  a 
skirmish  taken  place,  nothing  beyond  an  absolute  miracle, 
or  change  of  the  laws  of  nature,  could  have  saved  the 
little  band.  Kit  and  his  friends  had  reason,  therefore, 
to  be  very  thankful  for  their  safety.  They  all  felt  that 
they  had  retained  their  scalps  by  a  very  close  shave. 
To  use  the  expressive  language  of  Carson,  employed  in 
narrating  the  event :  "  The  red-skins  made  a  good  at- 
tempt, but,  thank  God,  failed." 

Two  of  the  trappers  had  received,  in   this  affray, 


A    LITTER    FOR    THE    WOUNDED.  75 

wounds  which  proved  to  be  of  a  serious  nature,  much 
more  so  than  they  or  their  companions  thought  on  the 
first  examination  given  them.  In  consequence,  the 
whole  party  was  obliged  to  halt  and  again  go  into 
camp,  having  accomplished  but  a  very  short  remove 
from  their  savage  foes.  It  became  necessary  to  main- 
tain a  strong  and  careful  guard  during  the  succeeding 
night,  notwithstanding  the  labors  of  the  past  day  and 
night  had  been  more  than  usually  arduous.  However, 
they  succeeded  in  passing  the  night  without  further 
molestation.  The  next  morning  it  was  found  necessary 
to  make  a  litter  for  one  of  the  wounded  men,  whose 
condition  had  grown  to  be  much  worse. 

The  method  which  the  mountaineers  adopt  for  making 
a  litter,  they  have  taken  from  the  Indians,  and  is  as 
follows :  Take  two  strong  poles,  six  feet  of  which,  at 
either  extremity,  is  allowed  for  shafts,  or  handles,  while 
the  patient  lies  in  the  intermediate  space  on  a  buffalo 
robe,  or  strong  sacking,  whichever  is  most  convenient. 
Two  mules  or  horses  of  the  same  size  are  then  selected ; 
and,  to  saddles  upon  each  of  the  animals,  the  poles,  at 
their  extremities,  are  fastened.  Another  and  simpler 
plan,  but  one  not  so  comfortable  to  the  patient,  is  to 
take  the  two  poles  as  before  and  attach  them  strongly 
to  a  saddle  on  but  one  animal,  while  the  two  ends  are 
allowed  to  drag  upon  the  ground.  Directly  in  the  rear 
of  the  horse  the  patient's  bed  is  affixed.  If  the  poles 
are  long  they  will  act  as  springs,  especially  when  the 
wood  used  is  of  a  kind  which  has  considerable  elas- 
ticity. 

Having  arranged  everything  to  the  satisfaction  and 
comfort  of  the  wounded  men,  the  party  commenced 
their  march,  and  in  four  days  reached  Gaunt's  camp, 


76  UNFAVORABLE    BUSINESS    PROSPECTS. 

where  they  rested  until  the  wounded  men  had  nearly 
recovered.  This  simple  fact  shows  the  careful  and 
sympathizing  care  which  the  mountaineers  of  the  West 
ever  exhibit  towards  each  other  in  distress.  It  speaks 
more  than  would  volumes  of  mere  praise,  concerning 
their  character  for  true  manhood. 

When  the  wounded  men  had  so  far  recovered  that 
they  could  safely  proceed,  the  whole  party,  now  quite 
strong  in  its  numerical  power,  as  well  as  skill  and 
mountaineer  experience,  departed  for,  and,  in  due  time, 
arrived  at  the  Middle  Park.  The  coveted  beaver, 
however,  were  scarce  there,  for  other  trappers  had  pre- 
ceded them,  and,  to  employ  trapping  phrase,  "had 
caught  all  the  fur  in  those  streams  that  could  be  taken 
that  season."  This  was  an  unpleasant  condition  for 
their  business  prospects ;  but,  as  the  old  adage  hath  it, 
"  what  could  not  be  cured  was  quietly  endured."  Catch- 
ing beaver  is  not  always  a  matter  of  choice.  The  bea- 
ver themselves  have  considerable  to  say  on  the  subject. 


KIT    HUNTS    ON    HIS    OWN   ACCOUNT.  77 


OHAPTEE   IV. 


Kit  Carson  and  two  Companions  plan  a  Hunt  for  themselves — The  Great 
Success  met  with — Return  to  Taos — Sale  of  the  Beaver  Fur — Kit 
Carson  joins  Captain  Lee  and  goes  on  a  Trading  Expedition — Winter 
Quarters — Kit  Carson  is  sent  in  Pursuit  of  a  Thief— Overtakes  and  is 
obliged  to  Shoot  the  Runaway — Property  Recovered — The  Return  to 
the  Camp — The  Sale  of  Goods — Kit  Carson  joins  Fitzpatrick  and 
Party — Kit  Carson  organizes  a  Hunting  Party — His  Encounter  with 
two  Grizzly  Bears — The  Summer  Rendezvous — Kit  Carson  joins  fifty 
Trappers  and  goes  to  the  Country  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians — Annoy- 
ances received  from  these  Indians — Winter  Quarters  in  1832 — Horses 
Stolen — Kit  Carson  and  eleven  Men  in  Pursuit — A  Parley — A  Fight — 
Kit  Carson  severely  Wounded — His  great  Sufferings  and  Fortitude — 
His  Convalescence — The  Retreat — A  New  Expedition — A  Braggado- 
cio— Kit  Carson  Fights  a  Duel  and  Wounds  his  Man — Duels  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  Olden  Times. 


The  fortunes  of  Gaunt's  party  in  not  finding  game 
continued  to  grow  darker  and  darker  as  they  traveled 
from  stream  to  stream.  The  men  began  to  grow  dis- 
heartened at  this  succession  of  failures.  Kit  Carson, 
finally,  became  so  tired  of  going  empty-handed,  that  he 
resolved  to  try  a  hunt  upon  his  own  account.  On 
stating  his  intentions  to  the  party,  two  of  his  old  com- 
panions offered  to  join  him.  These  were  gladly  accepted 
by  Kit ;  and,  had  they  not  been  deterred  by  the  con- 
sideration that  their  dangers  would  be  greatly  aug- 
mented if  they  worked  with  so  small  a  party,  others 
would  most  willingly  have  joined  his  company.  With 
the  good  wishes,  therefore,  of  Gaunt  and  his  entire  band, 


78  SPLENDID    SUCCESS = 

Kit  and  his  two  brave  comrades  boldly  and  confidently 
commenced  their  march. 

The  plan  Kit  adopted  was  to  confine  his  operations 
exclusively  to  the  mountain  streams,  and  not  to  venture 
out  upon  the  prairie.  By  taking  this  course  he  hoped 
to  avoid  much  of  the  danger  to  be  apprehended  from 
Indians. 

For  several  months  they  followed  the  business  of 
trapping  without  being  in  any  way  annoyed  by  the 
red-skins.  Their  success  was  abundant.  At  the  end  of 
the  season  they  had  gathered  together  a  splendid  stock 
of  beaver  fur,  and  began  to  think  of  a  homeward  trip. 
Having  made  everything  ready,  they  finally  started  for 
Taos.  True,  their  party  was  small,  and  the  risks  they 
ran  of  attacks  from  hostile  and  covetous  Indians  were 
imminent ;  but  fortune  or  Providence  favored  them,  and 
there  was  finally  a  satisfactory  end  to  their  anxieties, 
for,  after  a  quick  march  over  the  plains,  they  arrived 
safely  at  Taos.  Beaver  fur  was,  at  the  time  of  their 
arrival,  in  great  demand,  and  prices  ruled  correspond- 
ingly high.  Kit  and  his  comrades  obtained  the  benefit 
of  this  state  of  the  market,  and  disposed  of  their  fine 
stock  to  great  advantage. 

The  money  realized,  so  far  as  Kit's  two  comrades  were 
concerned,  was  soon  expended  in  fleeting  pleasures  and 
a  new  outfit  for  the  next  trapping  expedition  which 
might  offer.  Kit's  former  experience  had  been  suffi- 
cient on  this  score,  and  he  had  become  impressed  with 
the  highly  important  fact  that  there  existed  a  much 
wiser  course  to  be  pursued.  With  his  characteristic 
consistency,  Kit  acted  upon  this  conviction  and  wisely 
saved  his  hard  earnings. 

While  remaining  at  Taos,  Kit  Carson  met  with  Cap- 


GOING   INTO    WINTER    QUARTERS.  79 

tain  Lee,  formerly  of  the  United  States  Army,  but  at 
this  time  a  partner  of  Bent  and  St.  Vrain,  two  names 
as  familiarly  known  to  the  mountaineers  as  the  house- 
hold words  of  their  boyhood  days. 

Captain  Lee  was  purchasing  goods  for  the  purpose  of 
trading  with  and  supplying  the  trappers.  He  desired 
Kit  Carson  to  join  in  his  enterprise,  and  made  him  an 
offer,  which  was  accepted. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October,  1832,  with  their  goods 
well  packed  and  properly  fitted  for  the  rough  transporta- 
tion which  they  must  necessarily  be  subjected  to,  they 
set  out  to  find  the  trappers.  They  traveled  for  some 
distance  on  a  route  well  known  as  the  "  Old  Spanish 
Trail,"  which  was  nothing  more  than  a  mule-path  lead- 
ing from  New  Mexico  to  California. 

Having  arrived  safely  at  White  River,  they  continued 
their  march  down  stream,  following  the  windings  of  the 
river  until  they  came  to  Green  River.  Green  River 
they  forded,  and  then  struck  across  the  country  for  the 
Winty  River,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  Green  River. 

Here  they  found  Mr.  Robidoux,  who  had  a  party  of 
twenty  men  in  his  employ,  and  who  was  engaged  both 
in  trapping  and  trading,  according  as  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself.  Soon  after  these  parties  met,  snow  began 
to  fall,  indicating  the  approach  of  the  cold  season.  A 
mutual  understanding  having  been  arrived  at,  the  two 
parties  joined  together,  and  began  to  establish  winter 
quarters  suitable  for  the  whole. 

They  selected  a  site  for  their  permanent  camp  on 
the  Winty  River,  at  its  mouth,  where  the  men  made 
themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. They  were  provided  with  skin  lodges,  so 
common  among  the  Indians  of  America,  and  which,  ac- 


80  MISPLACED    CONFIDENCE. 

cording  to  Kit's  mountaineering  experience,  are  very 
comfortable  substitutes  for  bouses. 

During  the  winter  Mr.  Bobidoux  lost  six  of  his  most 
valuable  and  high-priced  horses,  in  the  following  man- 
ner. Attached  to  the  camp  there  was  a  California  In- 
dian who  was  employed  by  Mr.  Robidoux,  a  keen  and 
shrewd  savage  ;  and  one,  whose  acquaintance  with  the 
trappers  had  enabled  him  to  gain  the  confidence  of  Mr. 
Robidoux.  He  was  also  an  expert  with  the  rifle,  and 
possessed  undoubted  courage  with  great  bodily  strength 
and  activity.  These  qualifications  made  him  a  trouble- 
some customer  in  a  skirmish. 

This  Indian's  education  on  the  score  of  property 
risrhts  had  not  been  as  well  attended  to  as  the  meth- 

o 

ods  of  attack  and  defence  in  the  chase  and  on  the  war- 
path. By  some,  not  strange,  personal  argument,  he 
concluded  to  appropriate  the  six  valuable  horses  above 
mentioned,  in  the  law  wordy  vocabulary  of  civilization, 
"  to  his  own  use,  benefit  and  behoof,  without  asking  the 
consent,  good-will,  approbation,  permission  and  personal 
directions  of  the  said  owner,  to  wit,  Mr.  Robidoux." 

As  these  horses  were  worth,  even  at  that  remote 
spot  on  the  great  American  Continent,  the  just  and  full 
sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  each,  making  a  round  sum 
total  of  twelve  hundred  dollars,  Mr.  Robidoux  was  not 
content  to  pocket  the  loss,  or,  much  less,  to  allow  the 
rascal  to  enjoy  ill-gotten  wealth  on  the  principle  that 
"  stolen  fruit  is  sweet."  He  determined  if  possible  to 
show  him  that  some  stolen  fruit  is  bitter. 

Knowing  Kit  Carson's  reputation  for  skill  and  his 
fearless  disposition,  as  soon  as  he  had  discovered  his 
loss,  he  came  and  requested  him  to  pursue  the  Indian. 
Kit  Carson  was  a  man  who  never  worked  without  orders 


CARSON  AFTER  THE  ROBBER.  81 

except  when  he  was  leader.  He  therefore  informed  Cap- 
tain Lee  of  Mr.  Robidoux's  request,  and  asked  permis- 
sion to  serve  his  friend.  This,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
was  readily  granted  by  Captain  Lee,  when  Kit  instantly 
made  his  preparations  for  the  adventure.  He  was  very 
soon  on  horseback,  well  armed  and  well  prepared  for 
hard  and  close  work. 

There  chanced,  near  by  to  the  camp,  to  be  an  Indian 
village  belonging  to  the  Utah  tribe.  The  whites  were 
on  friendly  terms  with  the  inhabitants  of  this  village, 
which  determined  Carson  to  seek  out  from  among  their 
warriors,  one  active  and  intelligent  brave,  and  get  him 
to  join  in  the  chase.  This  was  the  more  easily  accom- 
plished, as  Carson's  reputation  for  skill,  courage  and 
experience  was  already  well  known  in  this  tribe.  He, 
himself,  had  made  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  among 
the  braves,  and  many  of  them  had  become  strongly  at- 
tached to  him,  for  it  is  a  fact  well  known,  that  the 
American  Indian  warrior,  as  a  general  rule,  is  as  true 
and  unchangeable  in  his  friendships  as  he  is  intense 
in  his  hatred.  With  this  in  view,  Carson,  putting 
his  horse  to  his  speed,  started  for  the  Utah  village. 
On  making  his  errand  known  to  such  of  the  braves  as 
enjoyed  his  confidence,  he  found  no  difficulty  in  engag- 
ing a  well-known  warrior,  and  one  on  whom  he  knew 
he  could  rely,  to  accompany  him.  The  wily  savage 
was  soon  ready  for  the  march,  when  Kit  gave  the  word 
to  start.  Both  men  were  splendidly  mounted,  and  their 
pace  was  that  of  no  sluggard.  The  high-conditioned 
animals  which  they  rode  seemed  to  catch  the  eager 
spirit  of  their  masters,  and  entering  into  it,  bent  them- 
selves to  their  work  with  determination  accordingly. 
To  discover  the  trail  of  the  deserter,  and  to  study  its 


82  AN   UNPLEASANT    PREDICAMENT. 

various  characteristics,  a  science  of  no  mean  or  useless 
order  in  the  matter  of  a  woodman's  education,  required 
the  two  men  to  slacken  their  pace  for  a  short  time. 
The  tracks  made  by  the  stolen  animals,  however,  were 
well  marked,  and,  to  such  practiced  eyes,  afforded  a 
certain  indication  as  to  their  route.  Again  putting 
their  horses  to  their  speed,  with  compressed  lips  and 
eyes  directed  to  the  trail  before  them,  Carson  and  the 
Indian  warrior  dashed  on,  feeling  confident  that,  if  the 
rascal  escaped  with  his  ill-gotten  booty,  the  sin  would 
not  be  laid  upon  their  shoulders.  The  trail  led  down 
the  Green  River.  This  fact  made  Carson  conclude 
that  California  was  the  destination  aimed  at  in  the 
deserter's  calculations.  Kit  and  his  Indian  brave  had 
accomplished  about  one  hundred  miles,  having  not  once 
lost  sight  of  the  trail,  when,  most  unfortunately  for  Kit, 
the  horse  of  the  Indian  was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  his 
strength  gave  out  completely.  The  Indian  could  go  no 
further  except  on  foot,  and  this  mode  of  travel  he  was 
unwilling  to  adopt,  refusing  absolutely  Carson's  request 
made  to  him  to  do  so.  This  was  an  unpleasant  predic- 
ament, especially  as  the  rascal  who  formed  the  chase  was 
a  dangerous  antagonist,  even  to  an  experienced  fighter 
and  in  an  honest  cause.  Goaded  on  by  the  fear  of  pun- 
ishment for  theft,  Carson  well  knew  that  he  would  re- 
quire all  of  his  own  address  to  purchase  success;  for  the 
rascal  would  not  fail  to  make  a  most  desperate  resistance. 
But  Kit  Carson's  courage  arose,  as  the  difficulties  of  the 
adventure  seemed  to  multiply.  With  a  farewell  word 
to  his  Indian  companion,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and 
entered  boldly  upon  the  trail  alone,  being  determined 
to  run  every  hazard,  which  the  unhappy  accident  to 
the  Indian's  horse  seemed  to  require  at  his  hands.  The 


A   DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER.  83 

spectacle  here  presented  to  the  reader  is  one  which  ex- 
hibits Kit  Carson  in  his  true  character,  both  as  a  faith- 
ful and  earnest  friend,  and  a  determined  and  dangerous 
adversary.  Such  was  his  character.  A  life  of  most 
singular  events  never  found  him  false  to  his  friend  or 
his  manhood.  While  he  was  not  rash  in  judgment,  he 
was  consummately  skillful,  quick  and  brave.  Onward 
he  dashed,  never  for  an  instant  taking  his  eagle  eye 
from  the  tracks  which  formed  his  compass.  Think  not 
that  such  tracks  are  easily  traced.  None  but  a  prac- 
ticed and  ready  eye  can  follow  them  to  any  advanta- 
geous end.  To  trace  them  even  at  a  snail's  pace,  for  an 
unpracticed  eye,  is  like  the  child  putting  pen  and  ink 
to  paper  through  his  first  copy-book  of  penmanship. 
Many  and  many  an  awful  blot  and  horribly  crooked 
line  will  doubtless  carry  the  simile  fully  and  strikingly 
to  the  mind.  But  the  result  which  crowned  Kit's 
efforts  showed  conclusively  that,  notwithstanding  he 
had  followed  the  trail  for  over  one  hundred  and  thirty 
miles,  he  had  made  no  blots  or  crooked  lines.  At  the 
distance  of  thirty  miles  from  the  place  where  he  parted 
with  his  Indian  companion,  Kit  discovered  the  chase. 
His  pace  now  became  tremendous.  The  wily  savage 
had  descried  him  almost  the  same  instant  that  he  was 
discovered  by  Kit,  and  instantly  prepared  for  a  desper- 
ate encounter.  With  this  object  in  view  the  savage 
turned  to  seek  a  cover  from  whence  he  could  fire  upon 
his  adversary  and  reload  long  before  he  should  himself 
become  exposed  to  a  shot.  The  rascal's  plan  was  good 
enough,  but  he  was  too  slow  in  its  execution  to  overcome 
Kit's  activity.  Kit  had  unslung  his  rifle  as  soon  as  he 
saw  his  enemy.  Anticipating  the  object  of  the  savage, 
he  instantly  covered  him  with  his  rifle.     His  horse  was 


84  CARSON'S    SKILL    WITH    THE    RIFLE. 

now  at  full  speed  and  he  was  rapidly  nearing  the  In- 
dian. At  the  moment  he  discovered  that  the  In- 
dian had  reached  his  cover,  and  before  he  could 
take  advantage  of  it,  without  relaxing  his  horse's 
speed,  he  fired.  The  ball  from  Carson's  rifle  was  so 
well  directed  that  the  Indian,  as  it  struck  him,  gave  one 
bound  and  then  fell  dead  in  his  tracks.  At  the  same 
instant  the  rascal's  rifle  went  off  with  a  sharp  report, 
sending  a  bullet  whizzing  at  some  distance  from  the 
line  of  Carson's  approach.  The  fact  of  the  Indian's 
rifle  being  fired  at  all  is  a  sufficient  explanation  of  what 
was  his  intent,  had  his  career  not  been  so  suddenly  cut 
short,  thereby  preventing  its  fulfillment. 

The  words  of  an  old  trapper  are  here  very  much  to 
the  point.  The  author  was,  on  a  fitting  occasion,  ques- 
tioning him  in  regard  to  Kit  Carson's  capabilities  with 
the  rifle.  Said  he:  "If  a  man  has  a  serious  quarrel 
with  Kit  Carson,  he  had  better  not  let  him  get  the 
first  sight  over  his  rifle;  for,  if  he  succeeds  in  this,  his 
adversary  is  as  good  as  dead. 

An  intimate  acquaintance  and  tried  friendship  with 
Kit  Carson  has,  since  then,  repeatedly  furnished  occa- 
sions which  have  confirmed  this  trapper's  statement, 
although,  in  the  first  instance,  a  person  would  find  it  no 
easy  task  to  render  an  altercation  necessary,  for  Kit 
Carson  always  held  his  passions  fully  under  control,  and, 
besides,  they  were  of  a  very  conciliatory  type.  No  man 
would  sooner  shun  a  difficulty  when  justice,  honor,  and 
necessity  did  not  warrant  strife. 

The  work  of  collecting  the  horses  was  soon  accom- 
plished, when  Carson  immediately  commenced  his  jour- 
ney back  to  the  camp.  This  he  reached  in  safety,  after 
a   few  minor   difficulties   caused   by    his 


WONDROUS    STORY-TELLING.  85 

charge,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  returning  the  six 
horses  to  Mr.  Robidoux  in  as  good  condition  as  they 
were  the  night  on  which  they  were  stolen,  and  also  of 
informina-  him  that  there  was  one  rascal  less  in  the 
world  to  prey  upon  honest  people. 

This  event  served  to  interrupt  the  monotony  and 
routine  of  winter  camp  duty,  affording  a  basis  for  many 
a  long  yarn  during  the  evening  hours  around  the  camp 
fires.  These  trappers,  especially  whenever  a  green- 
eyed  bundle  of  curiosity  chances  to  seek  their  company, 
can  spin  yarns  most  wondrous.  The  habits  of  the 
beaver  and  their  remarkable  instinct  form  a  fit  subject 
for  their  active  imagination.  It  would  doubtless  add 
very  much  to  the  interest  of  these  pages  if  we  could  set 
down  a  few  of  these  anecdotes  and  tales  for  the  general 
reader,  but  the  task  would  be  hopeless  as  to  its  ac- 
complishment. To  give  them  life  and  reality,  they  re- 
quire all  the  surroundings  of  time,  place,  and  occasion  ; 
there  should  be  the  dark  night ;  the  wild,  whistling 
wind  ;  the  shaking  tent  with  its  covering  of  skins  ;  the 
roasted  venison,  bear's  meat,  or  horse-flesh ;  the  rifles 
standing  in  the  corners ;  the  lamp  of  bear's  grease — in 
fine,  all  the  similitude  of  camp  life.  Then  the  wild 
stories  of  bear  fightings,  beaver  intelligence,  Indian 
deviltry,  and  hair-breadth  escapes,  become  intensely 
real.  The  auditor  hangs  upon  each  word  which  falls 
from  the  lips  of  the  supposed  sage  orator  with 
eager  earnestness,  while  curiosity  never  becomes 
satisfied. 

"  Ah  !  Jones,  that  is  a  whopper." 

"  Sure  as  I  live,  but  the  beaver  slept  every  night 
with  the  trapper ;  and  in  the  day  time,  if  he  left  the 
tent,  the  beaver  would  fall  to  work  and  make  a  dam 


86  BATHER    TOO    KNOWING. 

across  the  floor  of  the  tent,  using  the  chist,  skins,  arms, 
and  everything." 

'■Oh!  Jones!" 

"  But,  I  tell  you  it  is  true.  Tame  a  beaver  once,  and 
you'll  find  I'se  tellin'  a  plain  statement  as  true  as  ever 
a  Padre  made." 

"  Padre  !  who'd  believe  a  Mexican  priest  ?  Mr.  Jones, 
that  tame  beaver  of  your'n  must  have  been  born  in  the 
States,  where  he  hadn't  trees  and  mud  to  build  dams 
with,  and  had  to  resort  to  furnitur." 

"That  beaver,"  responded  Jones,  "  was  as  near  like  a 
human  bein'  as  any  man  present." 

"  How  do  you  make  that  out,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  Why,  one  day  his  master  died.  Well,  they  tried 
all  they  could  to  console  the  beaver,  but  it  'twant  no 
use.  He  wouldn't  be  consoled.  All  he  did  was  to  git 
an  ole  shoe  belonging  to  his  master,  an'  if  he  didn't 
haul  that  ere  shoe  around  day  after  day  wherever  he 
went.  Well,  the  beaver  'gan  to  grow  thin,  and  one 
night  they  found  he  was  a  dyin',  jest  from  starvin'  him- 
self to  death  and  a  huggin'  the  ole  shoe." 

"  Oh  !  Jones,"  said  the  greenhorn,  "you  don't  expect 
I'll  swallow  all  that  yarn?" 

But  Mr.  Jones  and  all  of  the  other  trappers  present 
preserved  an  imperturbable  dignity  of  mien,  as  if  the 
very  reference  to  the  animal  mentioned  demanded  from 
them  all  due  reverence. 

"  Well,  but  that  was  not  doing  as  a  human  being 
would  do.  I  never  seen  a  man  carry  an  old  shoe  around 
till  he  died  from  starvin'." 

"That  is  neither  here  nor  there,"  continued  Mr. 
Jones.  "  It  was  when  the  trapper  first  made  the  bea- 
ver's acquaintance  that  he  showed  he  knew  as  much  as 


HABITS    OF    THE    BEAVER.  87 

a  human  critter.  At  that  time  he  had  one  wife  and 
lived  with  her  all  alone  in  a  hole,  side  o'  the  dam.  They 
had  two  sons  and  a  darter.  The  darter  the  old  beaver 
had  married  to  a  fine-lookin'  young  beaver  who  lived 
t'other  side  the  dam." 

The  whistle  which  the  neophyte  here  gave  seemed  to 
give  great  dissatisfaction  to  all  of  the  trappers  present. 
One  of  them  quietly  asked  him — 

"  Is  that  the  way,  youngster,  you'se  bin  eddicated  in 
perliteniss  of  manners  ?  If  it  is,  I  know  a  beaver  who 
kin  larn  you  sumthin'.  In  the  fust  place,  if  a  young 
beaver  ever  kums  into  the  presence  of  the  ole  uns, 
especially  if  she's — that  is,  the  ole  uns — a  female  bea- 
ver, the  young  un  'mediately  fetches  his  right  fore  paw 
up  to  his  forehead,  jest  behind  the  right  eyebrow,  an' 
makes  a  reverintial  bow  of  cerimony  in  salute.  I'se 
seen  that  ar'  oftener  than  you've  put  one  leg  ahead  of 
t'other  yit,  young  un." 

The  trappers  present  all  confirmed  the  truth  of  this 
statement  by  a  solemn  nod  of  assent  to  the  query, 
"Ain't  that  true,  gentlemen?"  which,  at  least,  served 
to  prevent  unceremonious  whistling. 

It  is  thus  that  we  might  go  on  and  fill  page  after  page 
•with  this  picture-talk  of  the  trappers.  Some  of  their 
yarns  are  pretty  tightly  strained,  but  most  of  them  con- 
tain a  capital  hit  and  are  usually  founded  on  the  facts. 
It  is  a  well  authenticated  fact  that  the  beaver  has  but 
one  mate,  and  that  they  live  together  a  loving  couple, 
as  if  husband  and  wife.  As  to  their  liaisons,  coquetry, 
flirting,  and  so  forth,  doubtless  the  society  in  some  parts 
of  the  human  family  will  bear  a  faithful  resemblance  in 
these  respects  also.  As  an  example  of  industry,  the 
world  will  look  in  vain  for  a  better  one  than  is  afforded 


88  SUMMER    ON    LARAMIE    RIVER. 

by  the  little  beaver  of  the  Western  Rivers.  Look  at 
them  patiently  felling  the  tallest  trees  ;  and,  so  nicely 
adjusting  their  fall  and  calculating  their  height,  that 
they  strike  the  opposite  bank  of  their  stream,  gaining 
a  fixed  and  permanent  lodgment.  It  is  thus  that  these 
wonderful  little  creatures  will  often  erect  dams  across 
wide  rivers  and  effectually  stop  the  rushing  torrents. 

As  has  appeared,  after  collecting  the  six  horses,  Kit 
Carson  returned  with  them  safely  into  camp.  A  few 
days  subsequent  to  this  occurrence,  a  band  of  trappers 
belonging  to  another  party  en  route,  entered  the  camp. 
These  men  reported  that  Fitzpatrick  and  Bridger  were 
encamped  on  Snake  River,  distant  about  fifteen  days' 
journey.  This  was  too  good  news  for  Captain  Lee  and 
Kit  to  warrant  their  remaining  any  longer  idle.  They 
doubted  not  but  that  they  should  be  able  to  dispose  of 
their  goods  to  these  parties.  With  this  object  in  view, 
they  prepared  for  the  march  and  started.  Their  jour- 
ney, although  perilous  and  laborious,  was  successfully 
accomplished.  Messrs.  Fitzpatrick  and  Bridger  re- 
ceived and  entertained  them  very  hospitably,  and  pur- 
chased their  entire  stock,  paying  therefor  in  beaver  fur. 
Kit  Carson  then  joined  Fitzpatrick's  band,  but  remained 
with  it  only  one  month.  His  reason  for  separating 
from  it  was,  that  there  wrere  too  many  congregated 
together  either  to  accomplish  much  or  to  make  the 
general  result  profitable  in  the  distribution.  He  ac- 
cordingly arranged  an  enterprise  upon  his  own  account, 
and,  from  his  well-established  reputation,  found  more 
men  than  he  wanted  ready  to  join  him.  From  those 
who  applied  he  selected  but  three.  These  were  men  of 
the  best  material,  and  no  man  could  judge  a  trapper's 
qualifications  better  than  Kit  Carson. 


WONDERFUL    SAGACITY.  89 

With  his  three  men  he  immediately  set  out  for  the 
Laramie  River.  On  this  stream  and  its  tributaries  he 
spent  the  summer.  Perhaps  our  readers  will  look  for  a 
full  description  of  the  course  which  the  American  trap- 
per pursues  in  order  to  catch  beaver.  It  is  very  simple 
in  its  detail,  but  difficult  and  tedious  in  its  application. 
The  trap  is  the  common  steel  trap  made  in  the  usual 
form;  if  there  is  any  difference,  it  is  larger  and  more 
powerful.  It  is  set  in  the  haunts  of  the  beaver  with  a 
particular  kind  of  bait*  known  chiefly  among  trappers. 
It  is  a  singular  fact,  that,  frequently,  old  beavers  will 
be  discovered  springing  the  traps  by  the  aid  of  a  stick. 
If  discovered  at  his  work,  he  seems  to  enjoy  hugely  the 
vexation  of  the  trappers,  which  they  sometimes  exhibit. 
An  old  trapper,  however,  especially  if  he  be  a  French- 
man or  Mexican,  feels  so  much  pride  in  the  matter,  that 
he  will  cover  up  his  vexation  under  assumed  politeness, 
as  if  the  beaver  could  understand  and  appreciate  his 
lansruao-e. 

But  to  escape  from  these  pleasing  digressions,  Kit 
Carson  and  his  men  concluded  their  summer's  wrork 
with  unusual  success.  Their  exertions  had  been 
crowned  with  rewards  which  surpassed  their  fondest 
anticipations.  As  the  wintry  months  were  again  fast 
coming  on,  Kit  and  his  men  determined  to  rejoin 
Bridger's  command.  The  return  trip  was,  therefore, 
commenced  and  duly  prosecuted.  Late  one  afternoon, 
just  after  the  little  party  had  gone  into  camp,  Kit, 
having  lingered  somewThat  behind,  suddenly  rode  into 
the  camp  ground  and  leaped  from  his  horse,  giving  it 
in  care  of  one  of  the  men.  With  his  rifle,  he  then 
started  in  pursuit  of  game  for  supper.     He  walked  on 

*  Animalium  patris  testiculum. 


90  ADVENTURE    WITH    GEIZZLY    BEARS. 

about  one  mile  from  the  camp,  and  there  came  upon 
the  fresh  tracks  of  some  elk.  Following  up  the  trail, 
he  discovered  the  game  grazing  on  the  side  of  a  hill. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  the  animals  there  were  some 
low  and  craggy  pine  trees.  Moving  along  with  great 
care,  he  finally  gained  the  cover  of  the  trees,  which 
brought  him  in  close  proximity  to  the  elk,  and  within 
certain  range  of  his  rifle.  This  care  was  the  more 
necessary,  as  his  party  had  been  without  meat  diet  for 
some  time,  and  began  to  be  greatly  in  need  thereof. 
These  ever  wary  animals  saw,  or  scented  him ;  or,  at 
any  rate,  became  conscious  of  approaching  danger  from 
some  cause,  before  he  could  reach  the  spot  from  which 
he  desired  to  take  his  aim.  They  had  commenced 
moving,  and,  in  another  instant,  would  have  bounded 
away,  out  of  all  reach  of  his  rifle.  His  eye  and  piece, 
however,  were  too  quick  for  them,  for,  bringing  his 
piece  into  position,  and  without  dwelling  upon  his  aim, 
he  sped  a  bullet  after  the  largest  and  fattest  of  the 
noble  game  before  him.  He  had  wisely  allowed  for  the 
first  leap,  for  his  shot  caught  the  nimble  animal  in  mid- 
air and  brought  him  to  the  earth,  writhing  in  his  death 
agony  with  a  fearful  wound  through  the  heart  and 
lungs,  from  which  there  was  no  escape.  One  quiver 
ran  through  the  frame  of  the  beautiful  animal,  when 
he  breathed  his  last.  The  echoing  sound  of  the  rifle- 
shot had  hardly  died  away,  to  which  the  true  hunter 
ever  listens  with  unfeigned  pleasure  as  the  sweetest  of 
music  on  his  ear,  whenever  he  has  seen  that  his  game 
is  surely  within  his  grasp,  the  last  faint  melody  was 
broken  in  upon  and  completely  lost  in  a  terrific  roar 
from  the  woods  directly  behind  him.  Instantly  turning 
his  head  to  note  the  source  of  this  sound,  the  meaning 


Two  huge  and  terribly  angry  grizzly  bears  were  bounding  towards  him,  their  eyes 
flashing  fiery  passion,  their  pearly  teeth  glittering  with  eagerness  to  mangle  his  nesh, 
and  their  monstrous  forearms,  hung  with  sharp,  bony  claws,  ready  and  anxious  to  hug 
his  body  in  a  close  and  most  loving  embrace. — Page  93. 


NO    TIME    TO    COGITATE.  93 

and  cause  of  which  he  well  knew  by  his  experienced 
woodman's  ear,  educated  until  its  nicety  was  truly  won- 
derful, he  saw  two  huge  and  terribly  angry  grizzly 
bears.  As  his  eye  first  rested  upon  these  unwelcome 
guests,  they  were  bounding  towards  him,  their  eyes 
flashing  fiery  passion,  their  pearly  teeth  glittering  with 
eagerness  to  mangle  his  flesh,  and  their  monstrous  fore- 
arms, hung  with  sharp,  bony  claws,  ready  and  anxious 
to  hug  his  body  in  a  close  and  most  loving  embrace. 
There  was  not  much  time  for  Kit  to  scratch  his  head 
and  cogitate.  In  fact,  one  instant  spent  in  thought 
then  would  have  proved  his  death-warrant  without  hope 
of  a  reprieve.  Messrs.  Bruin  evidently  considered  their 
domain  most  unjustly  intruded  upon.  The  gentle  elk 
and  deer,  mayhap,  were  their  dancing  boys  and  girls ; 
and,  like  many  a  petty  king  in  savage  land;  they  may 
have  dined  late,  and  were  now  enjoying  a  scenic  treat 
of  their  ballet  troupe.  At  all  events,  Kit  required  no 
second  thought  to  perceive  that  the  monarchs  of  the 
American  forest  were  unappeasably  angry,  and  were 
fast  nearing  him  with  mighty  stride.  Dropping  his 
rifle,  the  little  leaden  bullet  of  which  would  now  have 
been  worth  to  him  its  weight  in  gold  if  it  could,  by 
some  magic  wand,  have  been  transferred  from  the  heart 
of  the  elk  back  into  its  breech,  he  bounded  from  his 
position  in  close  imitation  of  the  elk,  but  with  better 
success.  The  trees !  he  hoped  and  prayed,  as  he  fairly 
flew  over  the  ground  with  the  bears  hot  in  chase,  for 
one  quick  grasp  at  a  sturdy  sapling.  By  good  fortune, 
or  special  Providence,  his  hope,  or  prayer,  was  answered. 
Grasping  a  lower  limb,  he  swung  his  body  up  into  the 
first  tier  of  branches  just  as  passing  Bruin  brushed 
against  one   of  his  legs.     Bears   climb   trees,  and  Kit 


94  TICKLING    THEIR   NOSES. 

Carson  was  not  ignorant  of  the  fact.  Instantly  draw- 
ing his  keen-edged  hunting  knife,  he  cut  away  for  dear 
life  at  a  thick,  short  branch.  The  knife  and  his  energy 
conquered  the  cutting  just  as  Messrs.  Bruin  had  gathered 
themselves  up  for  an  ascent,  a  proceeding  on  their  part 
to  which  Mr.  Carson  would  not  give  assent.  Mr.  Carson 
was  well  acquainted  with  the  Messrs.  Bruin's  pride  in, 
and  extreme  consideration  for,  their  noses.  A  few 
sharp  raps  made  with  the  severed  branch  upon  the 
noses  of  the  ascending  bears,  while  they  fairly  made 
them  to  howl  with  pain  and  rage,  caused  them  hastily 
to  beat  a  retreat.  This  scene  of  ascending,  getting 
their  noses  tickled,  and  again  descending,  howling  with 
pain  and  rage,  now  kept  Mr.  Carson  and  Messrs.  Bruin 
actively  busy  for  some  time.  The  huge  monsters  and 
monarchs  of  the  mountains  were  determined  not  to  give 
it  up  so.  Such  a  full  and  fair  chase,  and  to  be  beaten 
by  a  simple  white  man  on  their  own  domain !  This 
evidently  galled  their  sensitive  natures.  It  is  true  the 
roaring  of  the  bears  in  his  rear  had  stimulated  Mr. 
Carson  in  the  race,  so  much  so  that  he  undoubtedly  ran 
at  the  top  of  his  speed  ;  and,  being  naturally,  as  well  as 
by  long  practice,  very  fleet  of  foot,  he  had  managed  to 
outstrip  his  pursuers  in  the  race.  It  is  true  he  had 
made  short  work  of  climbing  the  tree,  and  here  again 
had  very  innocently  beaten  the  bears  at  their  own 
game,  and  one  in  which  they  took  great  pride.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  the  bears  were  in  too  good 
condition  to  run  well.  Had  it  been  early  spring  time 
they  would  doubtless  have  been  much  lower  in  flesh. 
That  was  their  own  fault  too  ;  they  should  have  known 
that  racing  time  cannot  be  made  on  high  condition. 
After  leaving  their  hibernating  quarters   they  should 


KIT    VICTORIOUS.  95 

have  been  less  given  to  a  sumptuous  habit  at  the 
table. 

Affairs  were,  however,  by  no  manner  of  means  set- 
tled. They  had  the  daring  trespasser  on  their  domain 
treed,  and  almost  within  their  reach  ;  and,  indeed,  to 
keep  out  of  the  way  of  their  uncomely  claws,  Kit  was 
obliged  to  gather  himself  up  in  the  smallest  possible 
space  and  cling  to  the  topmost  boughs.  The  bears 
now  allowed  themselves  a  short  respite  for  breathing, 
during  which  they  gave  vent  to  their  wrath  by  many 
shrill  screeches.  Then  they  renewed  their  endeavors 
to  force  the  hunter  from  his  resting  place.  Mounted 
on  their  hind  paws,  they  would  reach  for  him  ;  but,  the 
blows  with  the  stick,  applied  freely  to  their  noses, 
would  make  them  desist.  In  vain  did  they  exhaust 
every  means  to  force  the  man  to  descend  ;  he  was  not 
to  be  driven  or  coaxed.  The  hard  knocks  they  had 
sustained  upon  their  noses  had  now  aroused  them 
almost  to  madness.  Together  they  made  one  desperate 
effort  to  tear  Kit  from  the  tree.  As  in  all  their  previ- 
ous attempts,  they  were  foiled,  and  their  ardor  damp- 
ened and  cooled  by  the  drumming  operations  upon 
their  noses,  which  this  time  was  so  freely  and  strongly 
applied  upon  one  of  them  as  to  make  him  lachrymate 
and  cry  out  with  pain.  One  at  a  time  they  departed; 
but  it  was  not  until  thev  had  been  out  of  sig-ht  and 
hearing  for  some  time  that  Kit  considered  it  safe  to 
venture  down  from  the  tree,  when  he  hastened  to  re- 
gain and  immediately  to  reload  his  rifle. 

Thus  ended  an  adventure  in  which  Kit  Carson  con- 
sidered that  he  failed  to  lose  life  and  limb  by  the  nar- 
rowest miss  that  ever  occurred  to  him.  Although  he 
had  killed  much  more  than  his  quantum  of  this  kind  of 


96  THE    GRIZZLY    BEAR. 

game,  and  had  gained  what  is  a  practical  advantage  to 
every  western  hunter,  to  wit :  a  knowledge  of  all  their 
abilities  with  which  they  enforced  sway,  Kit  Carson 
regarded  this  adventure  in  the  light  of  a  warning  It 
was  a  warning,  too,  which  he  never  allowed  himself  to 
forget ;  consequently,  whenever  he  hunted  afterward, 
he  watched  as  closely  for  signs  of  Mr.  Bruin  as  he  did 
for  the  game  he  sought ;  it  would,  therefore,  have  been 
a  difficult  matter  for  the  bears  again  to  surprise  him. 
Some  of  the  most  desperate  battles  on  record  between 
hunters  and  wild  animals  are  narrated  of  encounters 
with  the  bear  tribe. 

Several  years  ago,  a  Mexican  by  the  name  of  Arma- 
dor  Sanchez,  well  known  in  the  Rock)'  Mountains  as  a 
brave  and  skillful  hunter,  had  a  fight  with  a  bear 
which  lasted  several  hours.  This  terrible  battle  ended 
by  both  the  combatants  being  laid  prostrate  upon  the 
ground,  so  completely  exhausted  as  to  be  utterly  un- 
able to  reach  each  other  from  the  want  of  physical 
strength.  In  this  condition  they  spent  one  night; 
and,  on  the  following  morning,  when  the  brave  Mexi- 
can hunter  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  able  to 
creep  to  his  antagonist,  he  found  him  dead.  This 
close  conflict  grew  out  of  the  hunter's  noble  daring  in 
endeavoring  to  save  the  life  of  a  Mexican  boy,  whom, 
at  the  instant  the  hunter  attacked  the  beast,  the  bear 
was  about  to  tear  into  pieces.  At  one  time  the  bear 
had  the  youth  in  his  terrible  clutches  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  plant  a  shot  in  any 
vital  organ.  But  nothing  daunted,  with  his  rifle  and 
revolver,  he  lodged  several  bullets  in  other  parts  of  the 
fierce  monster.  Still  the  savage  animal  clung  to  the 
unfortunate  boy,  endeavoring  to  tear  him  to  pieces, 


A    TERRIBLE    CONFLICT.  97 

and  horribly  mangling  him  in  every  part  of  his 
body.  The  noble  hunter  could  resist  no  longer, 
and  dropping  his  pistols  and  rifle,  he  drew  his  sheath- 
knife  and  slung-shot,  and,  after  winding  his  blanket 
around  his  left  arm  to  protect  it,  rushed  in  and  com- 
pelled the  animal  to  turn  upon  him.  Wounds  were 
freely  given  and  returned ;  but,  the  wary  Mexican 
fought  with  such  dexterity  and  determination,  that 
the  bear  finally  became  so  mad  with  pain  and  rage 
that  by  a  tremendous  effort,  with  one  blow  of  his 
powerful  paw,  he  knocked  the  brave  hunter  headlong 
upon  the  ground,  where  he  lay  some  time  before  re- 
covering his  breath.  Instead  of  following  up  this  ad- 
vantage, the  brute,  doubtless  being  deceived  because 
the  man  did  not  move,  commenced  examining  and 
licking  his  own  bleeding  wounds.  But  the  brave 
hunter  had  now  got  his  spirit  so  completely  up,  that 
he  determined  to  conquer  his  antagonist  or  die.  Early 
in  the  fight,  by  a  blow  from  his  slung-shot,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  breaking  the  bear's  lower  jaw.  This  had 
greatly  disabled  the  animal,  and  doubtless  was  the 
successful  wound  which  eventually  gave  Sanchez  the 
victory.  When  he  felt  himselr  sufficiently  rested,  he 
renewed  the  fight ;  and,  by  adopting  various  manoeu- 
vres, in  which  he  was  greatly  assisted  by  some  adja- 
cent trees,  succeeded  in  putting  in  several  telling 
blows  with  his  knife.  A^ain  the  animal  became 
aroused  to  madness  unendurable,  and,  gathering  him- 
self up  for  a  final  effort,  succeeded  in  planting  a  terri- 
ble blow  on  the  hunter's  head,  which  once  more 
brought  him  to  the  ground.  From  this  blow  and 
the  previous  loss  of  blood,  the  brave  man  fainted  en- 
tirely away.     How  long  he  remained  in  this  state  he 


98  A    FORMIDABLE    ENEMY- 

could  not  tell ;  but,  on  becoming  again  conscious,  he 
found  that  the  victory  was  on  his  side,  for  the  bear 
had  already  breathed  his  last.  The  poor  boy,  notwith- 
standing his  wounds,  as  soon  as  the  battle  was  de- 
cided, and,  as  he  supposed,  at  the  cost  of  his  friend's 
life,  started  for  a  neighboring  fort,  and,  reaching  it  the 
following  morning,  reported  the  affair.  A  party  of 
men  well  armed  immediately  marched  to  the  rescue. 
They  found  the  brave  hunter  in  a  most  pitiful  condi- 
tion, with  his  flesh  terribly  mangled,  his  clothes  torn 
into  ribbons,  and  his  back  and  shoulders  one  mass  of 
lacerated  wounds.  His  reason  had  already  become 
unseated.  In  his  native  language  he  would  call  out  to 
his  now  visionary  foe,  "  If  you  are  a  brave  man,  come 
on."  Although  the  most  delicate  care  and  assistance 
was  rendered  to  Sanchez,  it  was  many  weeks  before  he 
was  able  to  resume  his  occupation  ;  and,  even  then,  he 
owed  his  life  to  the  wonderful  recuperative  powers  of 
his  healthy  and  iron  constitution.  Had  the  fact  been 
otherwise,  he  could  not  have  survived  his  injuries.  One 
more  brave  heart  must  have  yielded  its  last  drop  of  he- 
roic blood  in  defence  of  youthful  weakness.  This  pic- 
ture, because  it  does  not  exaggerate  the  facts,  we  leave 
with  regret,  for  it  is  a  pleasure  to  contemplate  such 
nobility  of  character,  whatever  be  the  name  which  de- 
clares the  governmental  allegiance  to  the  hero. 

It  is  not  going  beyond  the  bounds  of  truth  to  assert 
that  the  grizzly  bear  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  is  as 
formidable  an  enemy  as  the  hunter  is  called  upon  to 
meet,  wherever  the  hunting-ground  and  whatever  the 
animal  which  opponents  to  our  assertion  may  set  up. 
When  caught  out  on  the  open  prairie,  where  he  can 
be    attacked    on  horseback  and  lassoed,   the    chances 


HOME  OF  THE   GRIZZLY  BEAK. 


THE   KING   OF    BEASTS.  99 

are  against  the  bear;  but,  in  a  broken  country,  woe 
to  his  assailants,  unless  life  is  saved  by  some  trick;  or, 
happy  fortune ;  a  lucky  shot ;  a  telling  blow,  like 
Sanchez's  with  his  slung-shot ;  or,  the  fanciful  drum- 
ming, such  as  was  Kit's,  on  the  noses  of  his  antagonists; 
or,  some  other  equally  singular  and  unlooked-for  ex- 
pedient. The  weight  of  one  of  these  monsters  often 
runs  as  high  as  fifteen  hundred  pounds,  and  their 
fore  paws,  which  they  can  manage  with  the  greatest 
dexterity,  frequently  measure  fourteen  inches.  The 
courage,  sagacity  and  skill  invariably  evinced  by 
this  species  of  bear,  when  engaged  in  a  fight,  is  not 
equaled  by  any  other  wild  animal  on  the  face  of  the 
globe,  not  excepting  the  lion. 

We  take  pleasure  in  here  giving  further  publicity  to 
the  careful  research  and  plain  truths  which  have  ema- 
nated from  the  pen  of  that  distinguished  and  success- 
ful traveler,  Dr.  Livingstone.  The  new  ideas  which 
appear  in  his  pages  in  regard  to  the  courage  of  the 
"  King  of  Beasts,"  have  served,  in  a  measure,  to  cor- 
rect the  general  impression,  and  to  bring  down  from  its 
high-stilted  hyperbole  the  courage,  sagacity,  and  terrible 
power  of  the  lion,  which,  he  states,  are  overrated.  We 
do  not  desire  to  contradict  published  statements  any 
farther  than  our  own  personal  knowledge  extends ; 
hence,  we  give  our  authority  for  our  statements  in  re- 
gard to  the  lion,  very  well  satisfied  ourself  with  Dr. 
Livingstone's  love  of  truth  and  earnest  candor.  So 
much  for  the  lion.  Our  statements  in  regard  to  the 
Rocky  Mountain  grizzly  bear  rest  upon  our  own  knowl- 
edge and  investigation,  gathered  in  his  own  haunts  and 
on  his  own  wild  domain,  and,  as  such,  are  given  upon 
our  own  responsibility.    Because  brave  American  woods- 


100  INDIANS    HUNTING    GRIZZLY    BEARS. 

men  can  readily  conquer  the  monarch  of  the  American 
forest ;  and  because  the  chicken-hearted  Afric  son,  or 
dweller,  trembles  before  the  steady  glare  of  the  Afric 
King  of  Beasts,  ergo  his  beardship  must,  in  popular 
opinion,  play  subordinate  to  his  lionship.  For  the  sake 
of  truth,  we  should  like  to  see  the  Spanish  arena  once 
open  for  a  fighting  encounter  between  a  Rocky  Moun- 
tain bear  and  an  African  lion,  full  and  native-grown 
specimens  of  each.  The  bull-fights  all  good  men  abhor  ; 
but  such  a  battle  would  serve  to  set  at  rest  a  fast-grow- 
ing doubt  among  naturalists,  and,  so  far,  would  prove 
available  to  science  and  the  cause  of  truth.  We  would 
readily  stake  a  purse  on  the  bear. 

With  the  Indians  of  the  West,  who  live  mostly  by 
hunting,  among  whom  nine  out  of  ten  would,  single- 
handed,  readily  face  a  score  of  native  lion  spearsmen, 
and,  we  verily  believe,  put  them  to  flight,  a  man  is 
considered  a  great  brave  who,  alone,  will  undertake  to 
kill  a  grizzly  bear.  If  he  succeeds,  which  is  very  rarely 
the  case,  his  fortune  in  his  tribe  is  made,  once  and  for 
all.  The  reputation  he  gains  will  cling  to  and  follow 
him  into  his  grave,  and  form  one  of  the  chief  burdens 
of  the  tradition  which  bears  his  name  to  posterity.  The 
Indians  usually  hunt  and  attack  him  in  large  parties, 
and,  when  the  contest  becomes  really  earnest,  it  re- 
quires a  most  immoderate  amount  of  yelling,  and  fierce 
cry  for  the  onset,  to  keep  their  bravery  up  in  fighting 
trim.  The  victory  is  seldom  gained  without  the  sac- 
rifice of  several  lives.  The  mounted  hunter  almost  in- 
variably finds  it  a  difficult  task  to  bring  his  charger 
even  within  shooting  range  of  this  kind  of  game.  On 
an  untrained  or  young  horse  the  accomplishment  of  this 
feat   is   next  to   an  impossibility,  for  instinct  seems  to 


ARRIVAL    OF    BRIDGER's    PARTY.  101 

teach  them  the  true  character  of  the  game,  even  though 
they  approach  it  for  the  first  time. 

The  author  once  saw  thirty  brave  and  determined 
men  in  pursuit  of  an  old  grizzly  bear  and  her  two  cubs, 
near  the  head  waters  of  the  Arkansas  River.  In  vain 
they  urged  their  horses  to  the  chase.  Not  a  single  steed 
in  the  entire  band  could  be  induced  to  run  for  the  game. 
The  old  bear  was  quite  thin,  and  her  young  nearly  half 
grown,  and  were  very  fleet  of  foot.  The  chase  lasted 
for  about  three  miles,  but  not  a  man  present  was  able 
to  obtain  a  shot,  because  their  riding  animals  were  so 
completely  frightened  as  to  be  almost  unmanageable ; 
consequently,  the  bears  made  good  their  escape.  The 
last  that  was  seen  of  them  was  their  dim  outlines  as 
they  traveled  leisurely  up  a  deep  ravine. 

Darkness  closed  in  about  Kit  Carson  before  he  could 
reach  his  camp ;  and,  indeed,  the  sky  was  so  cloudy 
that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  he  found  his  way  to  it. 
The  idea  of  sending  out  a  pack  animal  for  the  elk  was 
out  of  the  question ;  therefore,  the  whole  party  went 
supperless,  to  bed.  In  the  morning  they  breakfasted 
upon  a  beaver  found  in  one  of  their  traps,  for  they  well 
knew  that,  long  before  daylight,  the  prowling  wolves 
had  feasted  upon  the  elk  ;  hence,  they  resigned  it  with- 
out a  visit.  The  flavor  of  the  meat  of  the  beaver  is  not 
very  palatable,  and  the  trappers  rarely  use  it ;  never 
when  they  can  do  better.  Not  so  with  its  tail.  To 
this  they  are  very  partial,  and,  when  properly  boiled, 
it  is,  indeed,  a  great  delicacy. 

Believing  that  Bridger  would  visit  this  place,  Kit 
ordered  his  men  to  make  a  permanent  camp.  Kit's 
sagacity  was  not  at  fault  in  this  hypothesis,  for,  in 
fifteen  days,  this  famous  old  mountaineer  made  his  ap- 


102  THE    SUMMER    RENDEZVOUS. 

pearance,  accompanied  by  his  whole  band.  The  two 
parties  once  more  consolidated  and  started  for  the 
summer  rendezvous,  which  was  appointed  to  be  held 
on  the  Green  River. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  this  place,  they  found  congre- 
gated, all  the  principal  trappers  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. They  were  divided  into  two  camps,  and  num- 
bered about  two  hundred  men.  The  objects  which 
brought  them  thus  together  were,  the  disposal  of  their 
fur  and  the  purchase  of  supplies. 

When  all  the  parties  had  reported  their  arrival,  the 
trading  commenced  and  was  conducted  upon  a  basis 
which  gave  general  satisfaction.  The  most  exorbitant 
and  fabulous  prices  ruled  for  such  articles  as  the  moun- 
taineers required.  Sugar  and  coffee  brought  two  dollars 
the  pint ;  powder,  the  same  ;  and  ordinary  blankets  were 
sold  at  fifteen  and  twenty-five  dollars  each. 

Coffee,  sugar,  and  even  flour,  were  luxuries  not  every 
day  indulged  in  by  the  hardy  mountaineers.  They 
seldom  partook  of  such  dainties  ;  not  more  frequently 
than  two  or  three  times  in  the  year,  and  then,  merely 
as  rare  treats.  Their  standard  food  was  game,  and  wild 
vegetables  when  in  their  season. 

This  meeting  of  the  trappers  continued  in  progress 
during  two  months.  It  was  then  dissolved  ;  and,  once 
more  the  bold  mountaineers  formed  into  bands  of  a  size 
convenient  for  trapping,  and  started  out  to  engage  in 
the  fall  hunt.  Kit  Carson  joined  a  party  of  fifty  men 
which  was  bound  for  the  country  occupied  by  the  Black- 
feet  Indians,  and  which  lies  on  and  adjacent  to  the  head 
waters  of  the  Missouri  River.  The  party  met  with  very 
poor  success  in  catching  beaver,  but  had  their  fill  of 
annoyances  from  the  tribe  of  savages  already  referred 


ON    THE    BIG    SNAKE    RIVER.  105 

to.  Finally  the  state  of  affairs  between  the  trappers  and 
the  Indians  became  so  desperate,  that  a  white  man  could 
not  leave  his  camp  and  go  a  distance  of  a  single  mile 
alone  without  being  fired  upon,  so  completely  and  untir- 
ingly was  their  camp  surrounded  and  watched  by  this 
wily  and  dangerous  tribe  of  Indians. 

This  state  of  affairs  led  them  to  the  determination  to 
quit  the  country,  as  the  trapping  season  was  far  ad- 
vanced. With  this  line  of  policy  they  began  the  march ; 
and,  in  the  month  of  November,  1832,  arrived  on  the 
banks  of  the  Big  Snake  River,  where  they  established 
winter  quarters  and  remained  until  the  subsequent 
February. 

During  these  winter  months,  the  quiet  monotony  of 
their  life  was  unexpectedly  broken  in  upon  by  a  band 
of  their  old  enemies,  the  Blackfeet  Indians.  Taking 
advantage  of  an  unusually  dark  night,  they  entered 
the  camp  and  succeeded  in  running  off  eighteen  of  their 
horses.  In  consideration  of  their  leniency  displayed 
towards  them  when  they  were  engaged  in  trapping  in 
their  own  country,  then  merely  acting  on  the  defensive, 
this  act  on  the  part  of  the  savages  appeared  to  the  trap- 
pers to  be  more  than  they  ought  peaceably  to  bear. 
Such  appeared  to  be  the  general  opinion,  and  it  was 
determined  that  a  party  should  be  sent  out  to  recover 
the  property  and  inflict  a  chastisement  upon  the  hostile 
savages  which  they  would  not  soon  forget.  Kit  Carson 
with  eleven  men  to  accompany  him  was  selected  for 
this  delicate  but  highly  important  service.  Having 
prepared  everything  for  the  route,  the  party  started, 
and  after  fifty  miles  of  sharp  riding  through  the  snow, 
came  up  with  the  savages.  The  progress  of  the  Indians 
had  been,  fortunately,  considerably   retarded   by  the 


106  THE    COUNCIL    WITH    BLACKFEET. 

necessity  of  breaking  a  path  through  the  deep  snow, 
which  had  but  very  recently  fallen.  The  trappers  in- 
stantly made  an  attempt  to  recover  their  animals,  which 
were  found  grazing  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  the  Indians 
having  previously  come  to  a  halt.  In  doing  this,  shots 
were  exchanged  by  both  parties  without  effect.  The 
savages  had  on  snow  shoes,  which  gave  them  considera- 
ble advantage  over  the  trappers.  After  some  manoeu- 
vring, the  Indians  asked  for  a  parley  which  was  grant- 
ed. On  these  occasions,  it  is  customary  for  one  man 
from  each  party  to  advance  to  a  spot  about  half-way 
between  the  contending  parties  and  there  have  a  talk. 
The  rascals,  through  their  representative,  informed  the 
trappers  through  their  representative,  that  they  had 
supposed  that  they  had  been  committing  a  robbery 
upon  the  Snake  Indians;  and,  that  they  did  not  desire 
to  steal  from  the  white  men. 

The  trappers,  believing  these  tales  to  be  false,  con- 
sidered this  a  mere  ruse  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  to 
make  them  unwary  of  passing  events.  However,  they 
put  the  very  natural  query  to  them,  why,  if  they  were 
so  friendly  disposed,  they  did  not  follow  out  their  usual 
custom  ;  and,  on  seeing  them  approach,  lay  down  their 
arms  and  advance  to  meet  their  white  brothers,  so  that 
they  might  have  a  smoke  together  and  talk  over  their 
difficulties  and  thus  amicably  settle  matters. 

Their  replies  to  this  query  contained  nothing  but 
evasions.  Finally,  however,  it  having  been  mutually 
agreed  upon,  both  parties  disarmed  and  marched  to 
the  place  where  their  representatives  were  talking. 
The  Calumet  was  then  prepared,  lighted  and  handed 
around  to  each  person  present,  it  being  puffed  once  or 
twice  by  every  one  of  the  savages  and  every  one  of  the 


CARSON    SEVERELY    WOUNDED.  107 

whites.  The  council  then  commenced.  The  head  men 
among  the  savages  led  off  by  making  several  lengthy 
raid  unmeaning  speeches.  In  their  replies,  the  trappers 
came  directly  to  the  point,  and  said  they  could  hear 
no  overtures  for  peace,  until  their  property  was  re- 
stored to  them.  The  Indians,  hearing  this  demand 
several  times  repeated,  began  to  presume  upon  their 
strength,  assuming;  an  overbearing  demeanor.  After 
considerable  talk  among  themselves,  they  sent  out  and 
brought  in  five  of  the  poorest  horses,  declaring  that  it 
was  the  only  number  they  could  return.  The  trappers 
upon  hearing  this,  ran  for  their  arms ;  when  the  Indians 
instantly  started  for  theirs.  The  fight  was  renewed 
by  both  parties.  Kit  Carson,  in  the  rush  made  for 
the  rifles,  and  one  of  his  companions  named  Markhead, 
succeeded  in  getting  hold  of  their  weapons  first ;  and 
consequently,  they  formed  the  advance  in  the  return 
to  the  contest.  They  selected  for  their  antagonists, 
two  Indians  who  were  close  together ;  but  who  were 
partially  concealed  behind  separate  trees.  As  Kit  was 
on  the  point  of  raising  his  rifle  to  fire,  he  saw  by  a  quick 
side  glance  at  Markhead,  that  he  was  working  at  the 
lock  of  his  gun  without  paying  attention  to  his  adver- 
sary, who  was  aiming  at  him  with,  almost,  a  certainty 
of  killing  him.  Kit  instantly  changed  the  direction  of 
his  rifle  and  fired,  sending  a  bullet  through  the  heart 
of  Markhead's  adversary ;  but,  in  thus  saving  the  life 
of  his  friend,  he  was  obliged,  for  the  instant,  to  neglect 
his  own  adversary.  A  quick  glance  showed  him  the 
fellow  sighting  over  his  rifle  and  that  the  mouth  of  the 
Indian's  gun  covered  his  breast.  Upon  the  instant  he 
endeavored  to  dodge  the  bullet,  but  he  was  unsuccess- 
ful in  doing  so  completely.     It  struck  him  in  such  a  way 


108  FORTITUDE    AJJD    DESIGNATION. 

that,  first  cutting  the  skin  of  his  neck  and  glancing,  it 
passed  through  his  left  shoulder.  The  head  of  the  bone 
of  the  arm  in  the  shoulder  was  shattered  ;  but,  fortu- 
nately, the  main  artery  of  the  arm  escaped  injury.  Not- 
withstanding his  wound  Kit  immediately  endeavored  to 
reload  his  rifle.  In  this  effort  he  was  unsuccessful,  for 
his  left  arm  hung  powerless  by  his  side.  He  was 
obliged,  therefore,  to  remain  a  mere  spectator  during 
the  remainder  of  the  fight ;  when,  being  overcome  by 
the  loss  of  blood  and  the  consequent  fast  increasing 
weakness,  he  threw  himself  upon  the  ground.  The 
fight  continued  to  be  hotly  contested  by  both  the  trap- 
pers and  Indians  until,  gradually,  the  firing  ceased, 
when  the  trappers  drew  off  and  went  into  camp.  They 
did  not  dare  to  light  any  fires,  as  they  would  inevitably 
bring  the  Indians  upon  them.  With  nothing  but  their 
saddle-blankets  to  protect  them  from  the  bitter  cold, 
even  the  safe  and  sound  members  of  the  party  suffered 
severely.  Kit's  condition  failed  not  to  arouse  the 
heartfelt  sympathy  of  his  friends,  for  there  was  not 
one  among  them  who  would  not  have  readily  risked 
life  and  limb  to  save  Kit's.  But  his  condition  was 
most  critical ;  at  the  least,  he  was  in  a  most  unenviable 
condition.  His  wounds  bled  profusely,  and  the  blood, 
as  it  oozed  out,  froze  to  the  rude  dressings.  This,  un- 
doubtedly, in  the  final  result,  was  beneficial  to  him,  as 
the  cold  acted  as  a  partial  check  upon  the  hemorrhage. 
It  w7as,  however,  none  the  less  painful  to  endure.  He 
bore  his  agonizing  sufferings  without  a  single  murmur, 
exhibiting  in  patient  fortitude  and  resignation  the  same 
brave  spirit  and  dauntless  courage  which  distinguished 
him  in  every  action.  Not  once  did  a  single  complaint 
escape    from    his  lips.    Had   he  received  this    wound 


ON    THE    GREEN    AND    SNAKE    RIVERS.  109 

within  the  pales  of  civilization,  with  its  concomitant 
constitution,  he  might  never  have  recovered  the  use  of 
his  arm.  In  the  pure  air,  and  with  a  constitution  in  the 
best  possible  trim,  after  all  danger  from  hemorrhage 
had  passed,  his  chances  to  recover  were  favorable  ;  and 
finally  resulted  in  giving  him,  once  more,  the  full  use 
of  his  aim. 

That  night  the  trappers  held  a  council.  It  was  de- 
cided that,  although  the  result  of  the  fight  had  been 
that  they  had  given  the  Indians  a  sound  thrashing,  there 
having  been  several  braves  killed,  while  they  had  suf- 
fered only  in  one  wounded,  they  were,  nevertheless,  not 
then  strong  enough  to  pursue  the  savages  farther.  They 
adopted,  therefore,  the  policy  of  returning  to  the  camp 
and  reporting  their  progress. 

On  their  arrival,  a  council  was  immediately  called  and 
their  adventures  duly  rehearsed.  The  result  was,  that 
a  second  party  was  immediately  organized,  comprising 
thirty  men.  Under  the  command  of  Bridger,  this  party 
followed  the  trail  for  some  days,  but  returned  to  camp 
without  finding  the  savages.  They,  after  their  late 
engagement,  had  made  their  way  as  fast  as  possible  into 
distant  parts.  A  short  time  after  this  the  weather 
moderated,  and  it  was  time  for  the  spring  hunt. 

This  was  now  commenced,  and  continued  quite  active 
for  several  weeks  on  the  Green  and  Snake  Rivers.  The 
success  of  the  trappers  was  far  beyond  their  most  san- 
guine expectations.  Beaver  fur  seemed  absolutely  to 
rain  down  upon  them.  The  season  having  passed,  they 
went  into  summer  rendezvous  on  the  banks  of  the 
Green  River.  This  was  brought  about  by  the  arrival 
of  the  traders  with  their  supplies.  The  whole  force  of 
trappers,  therefore,  again  rested  until  the  first  week  of 


110  AN    AFFAIR    OF    HONOR. 

September,  when  they  again  broke  up  their  camp  for 
the  fall  hunt. 

Some  time  previous  to  this  last-named  event,  Kit 
Carson,  having  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  Mounds, 
was  very  reluctantly  drawn  into  an  "  affair  of  honor." 
The  circumstances  of  this  occurrence  we  give  in  detail, 
for  two  reasons.  It  was  an  event  in  Carson's  life,  and, 
therefore,  is  required  at  our  hands  ;  but  it  serves  to 
exhibit  the  manner  of  the  duello  among  these  western 
mountaineers,  which  throws  around  the  circumstance 
the  importance  of  an  example  in  their  manners  and 
customs.  By  itself,  so  far  as  Kit  Carson  was  concerned, 
it  was  of  very  little  importance,  serving  but  little,  in 
his  opinion,  to  adorn  the  story  of  his  life. 

Among  the  men  congregated  at  the  rendezvous,  there 
was  a  Captain  Shunan,  a  powerful  Frenchman.  The 
Captain  was  exceedingly  overbearing  in  his  intercourse 
with  all  around  him.  Upon  the  slightest  pretext,  he 
was  sure  to  endeavor  to  involve  some  of  the  trappers 
in  a  quarrel.  The  result  was  that  he  was  heartily 
despised  by  all,  although,  for  the  sake  of  peace,  he  was 
allowed  to  go  unmolested.  One  day  his  conduct  was 
particularly  offensive  to  the  entire  command,  for,  after 
having  had  two  fist  fights  with  a  couple  of  weak  and 
inoffensive  men,  he  commenced  boasting  that  he  could 
easily  flog  all  the  Frenchmen  present,  and,  as  to  the 
Americans,  he  said  that  "  he  could  cut  a  stick  and* 
switch  them."  Such  actions  and  manners  at  last  at- 
tracted Kit  Carson's  notice,  and  caused  him  to  be  greatly 
annoyed.  He  thought  the  matter  over,  and  concluded 
that  if  Captain  Shunan  was  allowed  to  gather  many 
more  such  detestable  laurels,  he  would  soon  become 
even  more  bold  and  troublesome.     As  no  other  member 


FACING    A    BULLY.  Ill 

of  the  company  seemed  disposed  to  put  a  check  upon 
such  unmanly  behavior,  he  quietly  determined  to  make 
the  affair  his  own. 

An  opportunity  soon  presented  itself.  A  number  of 
the  company  had  congregated  together  and  were  en- 
gaged in  conversation,  when  Captain  Shunan  began 
anew  his  bullying  language,  this  time  a  little  more 
boisterous  than  usual.  Kit  Carson,  advancing  into  the 
centre  of  the  company,  and  placing  himself  in  front  of 
the  Captain,  thus  addressed  him  : 

"  Shunan,  before  you  stands  the  humblest  specimen 
of  an  American  in  this  band  of  trappers,  among  whom 
there  are,  to  my  certain  knowledge,  men  who  could 
easily  chastise  you,  but,  being  peaceably  disposed,  they 
keep  aloof  from  you.  At  any  rate,  I  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility of  ordering  you  to  cease  your  threats,  or  I 
will  be  under  the  necessity  of  killing  you." 

To  this  Captain  Shunan  did  not  reply ;  but,  im- 
mediately after  Kit  Carson  had  closed  his  remarks, 
he  turned  upon  his  heel  and  walked  directly  for  his 
lodge. 

Kit  Carson  was  too  well  versed  in  trapper  rules  not 
to  read  the  meaning  of  this  action.  He,  therefore, 
walked  off  also,  but  in  the  direction  of  his  own  lodge. 
In  a  brief  space  of  time  both  men  appeared  before  the 
camp,  each  mounted  on  their  respective  horses.  The 
affair  had  drawn  together  the  whole  band,  and  there 
were  many  witnesses  of  the  facts  here  recorded. 

Captain  Shunan  was  armed  with  his  rifle.  Kit  Car- 
son had  taken  merely  a  single-barrel  dragoon  pistol, 
which  happened  to  be  the  first  weapon  that  had  fallen 
in  his  way,  because  of  his  hurry  to  be  on  the  ground. 
The  two  men  now  rode  rapidly  towards  one  another, 


112  PUNISHING   A    BRAGGADOCIO. 

until  their  horses'  heads  almost  touched,  when  both 
horsemen  reined  up,  and  Kit  Carson  addressed  Captain 
Shun  an  as  follows  : 

"Am  I  the  person  you  are  looking  for  ?  " 

Captain  Shunan  replied,  "  No  !  " 

It  was  apparent  that  this  reply  of  Captain  Shunan 
was  a  falsehood ;  for,  while  giving  it  utterance,  he 
raised  his  rifle  in  the  act  of  shooting,  bringing  it  to  his 
shoulder  and  covering  his  antagonist.  Before,  how- 
ever, Captain  Shunan  could  discharge  his  gun,  the  ball 
from  Kit  Carson's  pistol  shattered  his  fore-arm,  causing 
the  rifle  to  tilt  upwards,  which  changed  the  direction 
of  its  contents  in  such  a  way  that  Kit  Carson  received 
a  wound  in  his  scalp,  while  the  powder  severely  burnt 
his  face. 

It  was  the  universal  opinion  of  the  spectators  of  this 
unhappy  scene  that  both  parties  fired  nearly  at  the 
same  instant.  The  facts  of  the  case  show  very  plainlj^ 
first,  that  Captain  Shunan's  intent  was  to  kill  his  an- 
tagonist. Why  did  he  aim  at  Kit  Carson's  breast? 
Second,  that  Kit  Carson's  shot  was  delivered  perhaps 
a  second  or  two  in  advance  of  Captain  Shunan's;  third, 
that  Kit  Carson  did  not  desire  to  kill  his  antagonist, 
but  merely  to  save  his  own  life  by  disabling  his  ad- 
versary. The  fact  that  his  shot  struck  first  and  hit 
Captain  Shunan's  right  arm  is  sufficient  proof  of  this. 
When  Kit  Carson's  well-known  and  indisputable  skill 
with  all  kinds  of  fire-arms  is  taken  into  the  account, 
and  that,  notwithstanding  this  skill,  he  hit  his  adver- 
sary in  one  of  only  two  places  (his  right  or  left  arms) 
which  would  have  rendered  his  aim  with  the  rifle  un- 
certain, the  statement  that  Kit  Carson  did  not  intend 
to  kill  his  adversary  becomes  an  incontrovertible  tact. 


Before,  however,  Captain  Shuiian  could  discharge  his  gun,  the  ball  from  Kit  Carson'j 
pistol  shattered  his  forearm. — Page  112. 


ORDER    AND    PEACE    IN    THE    CAMP.  115 

Last,  had  Kit  Carson  not  gained  a  second  in  advance  in 
the  firing,  he  would  have  lost  his  own  life,  inevitably ; 
and,  the  emphatic  "  No !  "  the  lie  of  his  antagonist, 
would  have  been  crowned  with  success.  Such  plain 
deception  seldom  is  allowed  to  triumph  by  an  all-wise 
Providence. 

In  judging  Kit  Carson  in  this  matter,  the  reader  will 
commit  an  ungenerous  error  if  he  fails  to  allow  to  be 
placed,  in  the  balance  of  judgment,  the  stirring  deeds 
and  daily  hair-breadth  risks  Kit  Carson,  during  so 
many  years  of  his  eventful  life,  was  constantly  called 
upon  to  take  a  part  in  and  undergo.  We  take  leave 
of  this  unfortunate  scene  in  his  life,  feeling  confident  a 
just  public  opinion  will  see  in  it  no  cause  to  pluck  from 
the  brow  of  Kit  Carson  any  of  the  laurels  which  it  has 
been  called  upon  to  place  there.  As  a  man  of  truth, 
honor,  virtue,  and  reverence  for  the  laws  of  his  coun- 
try, Kit  Carson  had  few  equals  and  no  superior  among 
Americans.  It  needed  not  this  incident  to  establish  his 
courage ;  that  had  long  been  proven  to  be  undoubted. 
Nor  did  the  result  elate  his  feelings  in  the  least.  He 
met  his  companions  without  a  smile,  and  invariably 
expressed  his  regrets  that  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty,  for 
the  good  order  and  peace  of  the  camp,  to  interfere  in 
the  matter.  On  the  other  hand,  when  he  espoused  the 
cause  of  the  majority  in  maintaining  the  right,  he 
was  not  a  man  to  be  easily  thwarted.  When  the  affair 
was  ended,  Kit  was  congratulated,  and  received  the 
thanks  of  nearly  every  individual  present ;  for,  each 
felt  that  a  load  of  most  vexatious  and  troublesome 
responsibility  had  been  taken  from  his  shoulders.  The 
good  fellowship  immediately  introduced  into  the  camp 
was  also  a  circumstance  of  mark. 


116  SETTLING    DIFFICULTIES. 

The  wounded  man  was  carried  to  his  quarters  and 
every  attention  shown  him  in  the  power  of  his  com- 
panions. His  punishment  had  the  effect  completely 
to  subdue  him. 

These  duels  among  the  old  trappers  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  were  not  very  unfrequent  occurrences. 
Men,  situated  as  they  were,  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
mighty  arm  of  the  law,  find  it  absolutely  necessary  to 
legislate  for  themselves.  It  is  not  within  our  province  to 
advocate  either  the  right  or  wrong  of  dueling ;  for.  with 
the  best  of  reasoning,  there  will  always  exist  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion  on  the  subject.  In  the  case  of  these 
mountaineers,  when  any  serious  offence  was  given,  the 
man  receiving  the  injury  to  body  or  fame,  held  the 
right  of  demanding  satisfaction.  The  interests  of  the 
entire  band  required  an  immediate  settlement  of  diffi- 
culties, so  that  their  future  plans  could  be  carried  out 
in  concert.  In  their  dealings  with  each  other  they 
were  strictly  honorable ;  and  when  by  any  mischance  a 
rogue  crept  into  their  ranks,  if  detected  in  any  rascal- 
ity, he  was  summarily  and  severely  dealt  with.  Their 
duels  were  serious  events ;  for,  oftentimes  both  men 
were  killed.  In  fact  the  case  could  hardly  be  other- 
wise. They  were  men  of  unflinching  courage,  and 
their  weapons  were  generally  rifles,  which,  from  long 
practice,  they  held  with  a  certain  and  deadly  aim. 


RESTORATION  OF  CAPTIVES. 


THE    FALL    HUNT.  117 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Fall  Hunt — McCoy  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  organizes  a  Trap- 
ping Party  which  Kit  Carson  joins — The  Hunt — Scarcity  o:.'  Kcavcr  on 
Humboldt  River — The  Party  is  divided — Kit  Carson  with  a  majority 
of  the  Men  goes  to  Fort  Hall — Hardships  and  Privations  met  with^ 
Bleeding  Mules  and  drinking  the  warm  blood  to  keep  from  starving — 
Buffalo  Hunt — All  their  Animals  Stolen  in  the  Night  by  a  Party  of 
Blackfeet  Indians — Arrival  of  McCoy  from  Fort  Walla  Walla — The 
Rendezvous — Kit  Carson  joins  a  strong  Band — The  Small-Pox  among 
the  Blackfeet  Indians — The  Crow  Indians  on  good  terms  with  the 
Whites — Intense  Cold — Immense  Btcrds  of  Buffalo — Bangor  of  their 
Goring  the  Horses  to  Death — The  Spring  Hunt — The  Blackfeet  Indian 
Village  overtaken — A  desperate  Fight  with  these  Indians — The  Ren- 
dezvous— Sir  William  Stuart  and  a  favorite  Missionary  Kit  (jarson 
goes  on  a  Trading  Expedition  to  the  Navajo  Indians — The  Return — 
He  accepts  the  post  of  Hunter  of  the  Trading  Post  at  Brown's  Hole 

Arrangements  for  the  fall  hunt  were  now  in  active 
progress  among  the  trappers.  Though  the  reader  may 
find  some  similarity  of  fact  and  idea  as  we  progress 
in  this  part  of  the  Life  of  Kit  Carson,  the  interest 
which  hangs  about  it,  nevertheless,  will  not,  or  should 
not  be  dampened,  because  this  pen-painting  of  his  long 
and  active  experience  is  a  better  and  more  faithful 
exhibit  of  those  qualifications,  knowledge,  and  skill 
which  afterwards  made  him  first  the  guide  and  then 
the  bosom  friend  of  the  illustrious  Fremont,  than  any 
assertions,  whether  authenticated  by  published  record, 
whether  rested  upon  statement  on  knowledge,  informa- 
tion, and  belief  of  acquaintances  and  friends,  or,  whether 


]18  WINTERING   ON    THE    BIG    SNAKE    RIVER. 

facts  taken  from  the  thousand  allusions  to  his  exploits, 
which  have,  from  time  to  time,  flooded  the  press  of  the 
United  States. 

The  company  of  trappers  which  had  been  so  for- 
tunate as  to  secure  the  services  of  Kit  Carson,  for  facts 
seem  now  to  warrant  us  in  employing  this  language  of 
just  praise,  set  out  for  the  Yellow  Stone  River,  which 
stream  they  safely  reached,  and  on  which  they  set  their 
traps.  Dame  Fortune  here  seemed  to  be  in  an  unpleas- 
ant mood.  Crossing  the  country  from  the  Yellow  Stone 
to  the  Big  Horn  River,  they  again  courted  the  old  lady's 
smile  with  stoical  patience,  but  with  no  better  results. 
They  next  extended  their  efforts  to  the  three  forks  of 
the  Missouri  River ;  also,  to  the  Big  Snake  River.  The 
fickle  old  lady  proved  scornful  on  all  these  streams, 
and  finally,  on  the  latter  stream  and  its  tributaries  they 
wintered. 

In  this  section  of  the  country  they  fell  in  with  Mr. 
Thomas  McCoy,  a  trader  who  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  In  his  trading  operations 
Mr.  McCoy  had  been  unsuccessful,  and  had  concluded 
to  organize  a  trapping  expedition.  The  inducements 
which  he  held  out  led  Kit  Carson  and  five  of  his  com- 
panions to  become  members  of  his  party.  With  him 
they  traveled  to  Mary's  River,*  from  whence  reports 
had  circulated  that  beaver  existed  in  great  abundance. 
The  party  struck  upon  this  stream  high  up,  and  slowly 
followed  it  down  to  where  it  is  lost  in  the  Great  Basin. 
Their  success  here  was  not  satisfactory  ;  consequently, 
the  party  returned  to  the  Big  Snake  River.  By 
McCoy's  direction,  the  party  tarried  upon  this  river  for 

*  We  give  the  name  which  was  applied  to  this  river  at  the  date  of  the  facts  related  in 
the  text.    It  is  now  called  the  Humboldt  River. 


UPPER  FALLS,  YELLOWSTONE   RIVER. 


YELLOWSTONE  LAKE. 


DRINKING   MULE'S    BLOOD.  121 

some  time,  when  it  was  divided.  McCoy  and  a  small 
escort  started  for  Fort  Walla  Walla.  Kit  Carson  and 
the  majority  of  the  men  took  up  their  line  of  march  for 
Fort  Hall.  While  en  route,  the  latter  division  was  sub- 
jected to  the  greatest  privations  imaginable.  Among 
the  worst  of  these  was  hunger,  as  their  trail  led  through 
a  barren  region  of  country.  For  a  short  time  they 
managed  to  subsist  upon  a  small  supply  of  nutritious 
roots,  which  had  been  provided  in  advance.  This  source 
finally  gave  out,  when  their  affairs  assumed  a  most 
desperate  attitude.  To  keep  from  starving,  they  bled 
their  mules,  and  drank  the  warm  red  blood  with  avidity, 
so  acutely  had  the  days  of  fasting  sharpened  their  ap- 
petites. This  operation,  however,  could  not  be  repeated 
without  endang-erino;  the  lives  of  their  animals.  These 
also  were  on  a  short  allowance  of  food,  for  the  grass  was 
very  poor  and  scanty.  The  whole  party  had  become* 
frightfully  reduced  in  strength,  and  began  to  think  it 
necessary  to  kill  some  of  their  animals,  which  at  this 
time  they  could  but  ill  spare.  In  this  terrible  condition 
they  met  with  a  band  of  Indians,  who  proved  to  be  of  a 
friendly  disposition.  The  party  was  then  only  about 
four  days'  journey  from  Fort  Hall.  Most  unhappily, 
the  Indians  themselves  possessed  but  a  scanty  supply 
of  provisions,  and  no  more  than  their  immediate  wants 
required.  It  was  not  without  considerable  manceuver- 
ing  and  talk,  during  which  all  the  skill  and  Indian  expe- 
rience possessed  by  Kit  Carson  were  brought  into  active 
requisition,  that  the  savages  were  prevailed  upon  to  trade 
with  the  trappers.  By  the  trade,  the  half-famished  men 
obtained  a  fat  horse,  which  was  immediately  killed,  and 
on  which  they  regaled  with  as  much  relish  as  the  epicure 
in  the  settlements  enjoys  his  "joint  of  roast  beef." 


122  HORSE-FLESH    OR    STARVATION. 

To  a  man  not  accustomed  to  this  kind  of  meat,  mule- 
flesh  and  horse-flesh  would  not  be  likely  to  prove  over 
tempting  or  appropriate  viands.  Let  him  feel  the  pangs 
of  hunger  very  sharply,  and  his  ideas  of  lusciousness. 
and  propriety  in  respect  to  food  will  rapidly  change. 
The  civilized  world  has  condemned  the  practice  as  be- 
longing to  barbarians.  A  mountaineer,  not  being  quite 
so  fastidious,  scouts  these  ideas,  considering  them  fool- 
ish prejudices  of  people  who  have  never  been  forced  by 
necessity  to  test  the  wisdom  of  their  condemnation. 
Let  the  epicurean  sages  have  their  choice,  eat  horse- 
flesh or  starve,  and,  they  confidently  maintain,  horse- 
flesh would  gradually  grow  to  be  considered  a  dainty, 
the  rarer  over  beef  in  proportion  to  its  greater  cost. 

The  trappers  of  the  western  prairies,  who  wander 
thousands  of  miles  over  barren  as  well  as  fertile 
lands,  where  game  cannot  exist  from  stern  necessity, 
are  compelled  to  submit  to  all  kinds  of  vicissitudes ; 
but,  with  buoyant  spirits,  they  conquer  results,  which 
a  faint  heart  and  yielding  courage  would  behold  almost 
in  their  grasp  but  fail  to  reach. 

An  emergency  calls  forth  skill  and  great  energies : 
and,  in  an  unexplored  country  where,  as  in  the  case 
here  recorded,  everything  living  suddenly  disappears, 
it  is  then  that  the  wits  of  a  trapper  save  his  life  when 
an  ordinary  traveler  would  lie  down  and  die. 

Kit  Carson  and  his  men  at  last  succeeded  in  reaching 
Fort  Hall.  They  were  kindly  received  and  amply  pro- 
vided for  by  the  whites  who  then  occupied  it  as  a  trad- 
ing post.  Here  they  rapidly  recruited  their  strength, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  felt  able  to  start  out 
upon  a  buffalo  hunt.  Reports  had  come  in  that  large 
numbers  of  buffalo  existed  in  close  proximity  to  the 


SOJOURN   AT    FORT   HALL.  123 

Fort.  Kit  Carson  and  his  men  were  not  the  kind  who 
live  upon  the  bounty  of  others  when  game  can  be  had 
in  return  for  the  necessary  effort  to  find.  They  were 
also  not  the  men  to  hoard  their  stock  of  provisions 
whenever  they  met  parties  in  distress.  The  first  query 
which  different  bands  of  trappers  offer  to  each  other  on 
meeting  in  the  wilderness,  is,  "  Does  game  exist  in 
plenty,"  or  "  is  game  plenty  in  such  and  such  sections 
of  country?"  This  takes  precedence  over  the  com- 
monplace question,  "  What's  the  news  ?  "  Oftentimes, 
when  venturing  into  distant  and  unexplored  districts 
of  territory,  they  were  obliged  to  take  their  chances  of 
finding  sustenance  ;  but,  they  hardly  ever  neglected 
an  opportunity  to  inform  themselves  on  the  subject : 
on  the  contrary,  they  often  sacrificed  both  time  and 
profits  in  order  to  secure  correct  details.  Any  other 
course  would  have  been  fool-hardy  rashness,  just  fit 
for  parties  of  over-bold  inexperience  to  take  the  con- 
sequences of. 

Hunting  the  buffalo  is  a  manly  and  interesting  sport; 
and,  as  Kit  Carson  on  this  occasion  engaged  in  it  with 
successful  results,  it  might  be  interesting  to  the  general 
reader,  and,  in  this  place,  the  unity  of  the  narrative 
seems  to  require  a  complete  and  practical  description 
of  the  manner  of  taking  the  buffalo.  We  have,  how- 
ever, deferred  this  part  of  our  duty  to  an  occasion 
when  Kit  Carson  had  his  friend  John  C.  Fremont  upon 
his  first  buffalo  hunt.  We  shall  then  permit  the  bold 
Explorer  to  tell  the  story  of  a  buffalo  hunt  in  our 
behalf. 

During  their  sojourn  at  Fort  Hall,  the  hardy  trappers 
were  not  idle.  Besides  the  calls  upon  them  by  the 
hunt,  they  set  to  work  with  great  industry,  repairing 


124  JUDGED  NOT  BY  HIS  COAT. 

their  saddles,  clothing,  and  moccasins.  With  the  aid 
of  a  few  buckskins,  procured  from  Indians,  and  a  few 
rude  tools,  they  soon  accomplished  wonders. 

To  give  the  reader  an  appropriate  view  of  the  genius 
to  conquer  obstacles  displayed  by  the  mountaineers,  he 
must  picture  one  of  them  just  starting  upon  a  long 
journey  over  the  prairies  and  through  the  mountains. 
His  wagon  and  harness  trappings,  if  he  chances  to  be 
possessed  of  worldly  effects  sufficient  to  warrant  him  in 
purchasing  a  first-class  outfit,  present  a  neat  and  trim 
appearance.  Follow  him  to  the  point  of  his  destina- 
tion, and  there  the  reader  will  discover,  perhaps,  a 
hundredth  part  of  the  original  vehicle  and  trappings. 
While  en  route,  the  bold  and  self-reliant  man  has  met 
with  a  hundred  accidents.  Pie  has  been  repeatedly 
called  upon  to  mend  and  patch  both  wagon  and  har- 
ness, besides  his  own  clothing.  Though  he  now  pre- 
sents a  dilapidated  appearance,  he  is  none  the  less  a 
man ;  and,  if  his  name  is  known  as  a  regular  trapper 
and  mountaineer,  he  is  immediately  a  welcomed  and 
honored  guest.  If  the  broadcloth  of  a  prince  covered 
his  back,  spotless,  scientifically  shaped  and  foreign 
woven,  his  reception  would  not  be  more  heartfelt  and 
sincerely  cordial.  It  is  amusing  to  see  the  rawhide 
patches  of  harness,  wagon  and  clothing,  now  become 
dry  and  hard  as  oak.  To  have  dispensed  with  the  use 
of  buckskin  on  his  route,  would  have  been  like  cutting 
off  the  right  arm  of  the  gallant  pioneer.  Buckskin  and 
the  western  wilds  of  America  are  almost  synonymous 
terms  ;  at  least,  the  one  suggests  the  other,  and  there- 
fore they  are  of  the  same  brotherhood.  The  traveler 
in  these  regions  of  this  day  fails  not  to  learn  and  ap- 
preciate its  value.     It  has  not  only  furnished  material 


CURING   BUFFALO    MEAT.  125 

for  clothing,  but  has  been  used  to  repair  almost  every 
article  in  daily  use.  Even  the  camp  and  tea-kettle,  as 
well  as  the  frying,  milk  and  saucepan,  bedstead  and 
hammock,  chair  and  table,  all  have  had  their  buckskin 
appendage,  as  fast  as  any  of  them  have  become  injured 
or  broken. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  Carson  set  out  with 
his  followers  for  their  hunting-grounds.  Their  pace 
was  one  of  so  much  rapidity,  that  after  one  day's  march 
they  discovered  signs  of  the  buffalo.  On  the  following 
morning  immense  herds  were  in  sight.  A  suitable 
place  for  a  camp  was  soon  selected,  and  everything 
which  could  impede  their  work  well  stowed  away. 
The  best  marksmen  were  selected  for  hunters,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  party  detailed  to  take  care  of  the 
meat  as  fast  as  the  hunters  should  bring  it  in.  Poles 
were  planted  on  the  open  prairies,  and  from  one  to  the 
other  ropes  of  hide  were  stretched.  Upon  these  ropes 
strips  of  the  buffalo  meat  were  hung  for  curing,  which 
consists  of  merely  drying  it  in  the  sun's  rays.  After  it 
is  sufficiently  dried,  it  is  taken  down  and  bound  up  in 
bundles.  During  the  time  of  hunting  and  curing,  the 
trappers  feasted  upon  the  delicacies  of  the  game,  which 
consist  of  the  tongue,  liver  and  peculiar  fat  which  is 
found  along  the  back  of  the  buffalo.  Their  past  suffer- 
ings from  hunger  had  made  them  so  determined  in  the 
work  of  procuring  game,  that  in  a  few  days  they  pos- 
sessed meat  sufficient  to  load  down  all  their  pack  ani- 
mals. They  now  thought  about  returning  to  Fort  Hall. 
Their  pace,  however,  rendered  so  by  their  weighty 
game,  was  very  slow.  Their  old  enemies,  the  Black- 
feet  Indians,  had  discovered  them  while  en^a^ed  in  this 
hunt.     They  followed  them  on  the  march  to  the  Fort, 


126  DEPRIVED    OF   THEIR    ANIMALS. 

the  trappers  being  wholly  unaware  of  their  presence  ; 
in  fact,  the  idea  of  hostile  Indians  had  not  troubled 
their  thoughts. 

Two  or  three  nights  after  they  arrived  at  the  Fort, 
taking  advantage  of  a  dark  evening,  the  Indians  de- 
prived them  of  all  their  animals.  This  was  the  result 
of  carelessness  on  the  part  of  one  of  the  men,  which, 
under  the  circumstances,  wras  excusable.  The  party 
had  encamped  just  without  the  pickets  of  the  Fort,  but 
had  taken  the  precaution  to  secure  their  horses  and 
mules  while  they  slept,  by  placing  them  in  the  corral 
belonging  to  the  station.  A  sentinel  was  put  upon 
duty  over  the  corral,  in  order  to  make  everything 
doubly  secure.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  nearly 
at  daybreak,  the  sentinel  saw  two  persons  advance  and 
deliberately  let  down  the  bars  leading  into  the  yard  and 
drive  out  the  animals.  He  mistook  these  men  for  two 
of  his  companions  who  were  authorized  to  take  the 
herd  out  to  graze.  Concluding,  therefore,  without 
going  to  them,  that  he  was  relieved,  he  sought  his 
resting-place  and  was  soon  fast  asleep.  In  the  morn- 
ing, anxious  inquiries  were  made  for  the  horses  and 
mules,  when  a  very  short  investigation  revealed  the 
truth  of  matters.  It  was,  undoubtedly,  very  fortunate 
for  the  sentinel  that  he  fell  into  the  error  alluded  to. 
It  was  very  apparent  that  the  two  advanced  Indians 
who  let  down  the  bars  were  backed  up  by  a  strong 
party.  The  signs  of  Indians,  discovered  afterwards, 
proved  this  beyond  a  doubt.  Their  reserve  party  were 
posted  where  the  least  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
sentinel  would  have  been  followed  by  his  quick  and 
certain  death.  This  successful  theft  was,  no  doubt, 
considered  by  the  Indians  a  cause  for  great  rejoicing. 


THE     BLACKFEET    INDIANS.  127 

It  may  have  formed  the  basis  of  promoting  the  brave 
who  planned  and  directed  it,  as  the  animals  had  been 
obtained  without  the  loss  of  a  man  or  even  the  receiv- 
ing of  a  wound.  The  parties  living  at  the  Fort  were 
equally  as  poorly  off  for  horses  and  mules  as  were  now 
the  trappers.  The  same  Indians  had  recently  performed 
the  same  trick  upon  them.  The  loss  was  most  severely 
felt  by  the  trappers,  inasmuch  as  they  had  not  a  single 
animal  left  upon  which  to  give  chase.  Nothing  re- 
mained for  them  to  enact,  except  a  stoical  indifference 
over  their  loss,  and  await  the  return  of  McCoy,  who  had 
agreed,  after  finishing  his  business  at  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
to  rejoin  them  at  Fort  Hall. 

This  tribe  of  Indians,  the  Blackfeet,  whose  meddle- 
some dispositions  have  so  frequently  brought  them  in 
contact  with  Kit  Carson  in  such  and  dissimilar  affairs, 
occupied  the  country  on  the  Yellow  Stone  River  and 
about  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri.  There  were 
other  tribes  in  close  proximity,  the  most  important  of 
which  was  the  tribe  called  the  Crows.  When  Kit  Carson 
first  entered  upon  his  wild  career,  the  Blackfeet  Indians 
numbered  nearly  thirty  thousand  souls.  They  were 
greatly  reduced  in  numbers  within  the  next  six  or 
seven  years,  between  1832  and  1839.  In  the  last- 
named  year,  in  consequence  of  the  ravages  of  the  small- 
pox, heretofore  alluded  to,  and  which  prevailed  the 
year  previous,  they  had  lost  at  least  fifty  per  cent. 
They  have  now  dwindled  down  to  a  few  thousands. 
They  are  one  of  the  finest  races  of  the  American 
Aborigines.  Powerful  in  frame  and  development ;  well 
trained  in  horsemanship,  although  in  this  they  are  sur- 
passed by  the  Camanches  ;  capable  of  great  endurance  ; 
and  usually  well  fitted  as  to  arms,  dress,  horse  trappings, 


128  A    THIEVING   HORDE    OF    SAVAGES. 

et  ccpAera,  they  generally  prove  knotty  customers  as 
enemies.  We  ought  not  to  pass  by  this  notice  of  the 
Blackfeet  Indians  without  calling  the  attention  of  the  in- 
quisitive  reader  to  a  remarkable  proof  which  is  afforded 
by  the  whole  intercourse  of  these  western  trappers  with 
the  Blackfeet  Indians,  as  thus  detailed  by  Kit  Carson,  of 
an  assertion  hazarded  some  years  ago,  by  Charles  De 
Wolf  Brownell,  in  his  admirable  work  upon  the  Indian 
races  oi  North  and  South  America.  On  pages  531-2, 
Mr.  Brownell  comes  to  the  defence  of  the  Crow  tribe 
of  Indians,  which,  up  to  that  time,  had  been  character- 
ized as  a  "  lawless,  thieving  horde  of  savages."  "But," 
sa}Ts  Mr.  Brownell.  "  those  best  acquainted  with  their 
character  and  disposition,  speak  of  them  as  honest  and 
trustworthy."  The  adventures  of  Kit  Carson  among 
both  the  Crow  and  the  Blackfeet  Indians,  we  think, 
demonstrate  pretty  conclusively  which  of  these  contig- 
uous tribes  are  the  horse  stealers.  The  Crows,  it  will 
be  remembered,  were  more  particularly  inhabitants  of 
the  mountainous  regions.  The  Blackfeet  have  ever 
been  their  sworn  and  inplacable  foes.  Their  burials  of 
the  hatchet  have  been  few  and  far  between,  and  never 
in  deep  soil.  It  is  not,  therefore,  to  be  wondered  at 
that  the  Blackfeet  reputation  should  extend  to  the 
Crows ;  but,  although  circumstances  exist  which  con- 
demn the  latter,  they  are  few  in  number  compared 
with  the  sins  laid  by  the  traders  and  trappers  at  the 
tent-doors  of  the  former. 

After  the  lapse  of  one  month  McCoy  made  his  ap- 
pearance and,  most  opportune^,  brought  an  extra 
supply  of  animals.  The  camp  was  soon  struck  and 
the  whole  band  started  for  the  rendezvous,  which  had 
been    appointed    to   convene   at  the  mouth  of  Horse 


A  BLACKEEET  WARRIOR. 


SMALL -POX   AMONG    THE    INDIANS.  131 

Creek  on  the  Green  River.  The}'  reached  this  place 
after  several  dajTs  of  hard  travel.  As  usual,  trading 
operations  did  not  commence  until  all  the  regular 
bands  of  trappers  had  arrived  and  reported.  They 
were  then  commenced  and  continued  through  a  period 
of  twenty  days.  Here  Kit  Carson  left  the  company 
under  McCoy,  and  joined  a  company  under  the  man- 
agement of  a  Mr.  Fontenelle,  which  numbered  one 
hundred  men.  This  party  went  to  and  trapped  on  the 
Yellow  Stone  River.  On  commencing  operations,  the 
party  was  divided  into  fifty  trappers  and  fifty  keepers. 
The  duties  of  the  former  were  to  take  the  beaver  and 
provide  game  for  food  ;  the  latter,  to  guard  their  prop- 
erty and  cook.  The  trappers  were  now  in  the  midst 
of  their  sworn  foes,  the  Blackfeet  Indians.  They  felt 
themselves  sufficiently  strong  and  were  desirous  of 
paying  off  old  scores.  They  therefore  trapped  where 
they  pleased,  being  determined  to  dispute  the  right  of 
possession  to  the  country  if  attacked.  They  were  not, 
however,  molested.  A  good  reason  appeared  for  this, 
soon  after,  brought  by  some  friendly  Indians  belong- 
ing to  the  Crow  Tribe.  They  informed  the  whites  that 
the  small-pox  was  making  terrible  havoc  with  the  Black- 
feet  Indians.  Thousands  were  dying,  and  fears  were  en- 
tertained that  the  whole  tribe  would  be  cut  off.  In  order 
to  attend  to  their  sick  they  had  secluded  themselves. 
The  trapping  season  being  nearly  over,  as  the  streams 
began  to  freeze,  the  party  commenced  looking  out  for 
a  camping  site. 

In  conjunction  with  the  main  body  of  the  Crow 
nation  they  proceeded  to  a  well  protected  valley,  and 
erected  their  lodges,  making  themselves  as  comfort- 
able   as  possible    under   the    circumstances.      As   the 


132      IMMENSE    HERDS    OF    STARVING    BUFFALOES. 

season  advanced,  the  cold  became  more  severe,  until 
at  last,  it  was  more  intense  than  ever  before  experi- 
enced by  the  trappers  or  Indians.  Fuel,  however,  was 
abundant,  and,  excepting  the  inconvenience  of  keeping 
unusually  large  fires,  they  suffered  but  little.  Not  so 
with  their  animals.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  they  preserved  them  from  starvation.  By  the 
most  unwearied  exertions,  however,  they  succeeded  in 
obtaining  food  enough  barely  to  keep  them  alive  until 
the  weather  became  more  mild  and  auspicious.  At 
one  time  the  crisis  was  so  imminent,  that  the  trappers 
were  compelled  to  resort  to  cotton-wood  trees,  thawing 
the  bark  and  small  branches,  after  gathering  them,  by 
their  fires.  This  bark  was  torn  from  the  trees  in  shreds 
sufficiently  small  for  the  animals  to  masticate.  The 
Indians  of  the  Eocky  Mountains,  when  suffering  from 
hunger,  are  often  driven  to  the  extremity  of  eating 
this  material.  For  miles,  not  unfrequently,  the  trav- 
eler discovers  these  trees  denuded  of  their  bark,  after  a 
party  has  passed  through  on  their  way  to  find  the  buf- 
falo. The  rough,  outside  cuticle  is  discarded,  and  the 
tender  texture,  next  to  the  body  of  the  tree,  is  the  part 
selected  for  food.  It  will  act  in  staying  the  appetite, 
but  cannot,  for  any  great  length  of  time,  support  life. 
It  is  dangerous  to  allow  starving  animals  to  eat 
freely  of  it;  the  trappers,  therefore,  fed  it  to  them 
but  sparingly. 

The  intense  cold  operated  to  bring  upon  them 
another  serious  annoyance,  in  the  shape  of  immense 
herds  of  starving  buffalo,  which,  goaded  on  by  the 
pangs  of  hunger,  would  watch  for  an  opportunity  to 
gore  the  animals  and  steal  their  scanty  allowance  of 
provender.     It  was  only  by  building  large  fires  in  the 


MURDERED    BY    SIOUX    INDIANS.  133 

valleys  and  constantly  standing  guard  that  the  trappers 
succeeded  in  keeping  them  off. 

During  the  winter,  to  beguile  the  time,  the  whites 
vied  with  their  Indian  allies  in  many  of  their  sports. 
As  game  existed  in  superabundance,  always  ready  for 
a  loaded  rifle,  both  parties  were  contented  and  happy. 
Time  flew  away  rapidly  and  soon  brought  again  the 
sunshine  of  spring,  with  the  buds  and  blossoms,  gay 
wild  flowers,  green  herbage  and  forest  verdure.  For 
the  purpose  of  procuring  supplies,  the  trappers  dis- 
patched two  messengers  to  Fort  Laramie.  They  did 
not  return  and  were  never  again  heard  from.  The 
conclusion  which  gained  belief  was,  that  they  had 
been  murdered  by  the  Sioux  Indians.  The  party 
waited  as  long  as  they  possibly  could  for  the  return  of 
their  two  companions,  but,  finally  were  compelled  to 
commence  the  spring  hunt  without  them.  They  trap- 
ped a  short  time  on  the  Yellow  Stone  River  and  then 
went  to  the  Twenty-Five  Yard  River.  From  thence 
they  proceeded  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri,  and, 
on  the  most  northern  of  its  forks,  remained  some  time, 
meeting  with  considerable  success.  Here  they  obtained 
news  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians,  which  showed  that  the 
ravages  of  the  small-pox  had  been  greatly  overesti- 
mated. They  were  still  nearly  as  strong,  and  in  char- 
acter, had  not  at  all  become  subdued.  Upon  drawing 
near  to  the  source  of  this  river,  they  discovered  that 
the  main  village  of  these  savages,  their  old  foes,  was  in 
close  proximity.  This  was  pleasing  intelligence  to  the 
trappers.  They  had  suffered  too  many  unprovoked  in- 
sults at  their  hands  not  to  desire  the  aveng-ins;  of  their 
wrongs  and  to  punish  them  by  way  of  retaliation.  Dur- 
ing the  whole  winter,  and,  in  fact,  from  the  time  the 


134  PLANS  FOR  THE  CAMPAIGN. 

party  was  first  organized,  they  had  anxiously  abided 
their  opportunity  to  meet  and  punish  the  rascally 
Blackfeet  warriors.  The  old  scores  or  sores  had  been 
festering  too  long,  and  here  was  a  chance  to  probe 
them  satisfactorily. 

The  party  cautiously  followed  upon  the  trail  which 
led  to  the  Indian  encampment  until  within  one  day's 
journey  of  it.  Here  they  came  to  a  halt.  Kit  Carson, 
with  five  men,  was  sent  in  advance  to  reconnoitre. 
Upon  approaching  the  Indians,  the  reconnoiteiing 
party  discovered  them  busily  engaged  driving  in  their 
animals  to  saddle  and  pack,  and  making  such  other 
preparations  necessary  to  the  effecting  of  a  hurried  de- 
campment. Kit  and  his  companions  hastened  back  and 
reported  the  results  of  their  observations.  A  council 
was  immediately  held  which  decided  to  send  out  forty- 
three  picked  men  to  give  battle  ;  and,  for  the  com- 
mander of  this  party,  Kit  Carson  was  unanimously 
elected.  The  fiftVy-five  men  left  behind  under  Mr.  Fon- 
tenelle  had  the  onerous  duty  of  guarding  the  animals 
and  equipage.  It  was  a  part  of  the  programme,  also, 
that  the  latter  force  should  move  on  slowly  and  act  as 
a  reserve  in  case  of  need. 

Kit  Carson  and  his  command  were  in  fine  spirits,  and 
lost  no  time  in  overhauling  the  village.  In  the  first 
charge  they  killed  ten  of  the  bravest  warriors.  The 
savages  quickly  recovered  from  this  blow  and  com- 
menced retreating  in  good  order.  For  three  consecu- 
tive hours  they  heroically  received  a  series  of  these 
furious  and  deadly  assaults  without  offering  much  re- 
sistance. At  the  end  of  this  time  the  firing  of  the 
mountaineers  began  to  slacken,  as  their  ammunition 
was  running  low.     These  experienced  and  brave,  though 


KIT    SAVES    COTTON'S    LIFE.  135 

rascally  Indians,  soon  surmised  the  cause  of  this  sudden 
change  of  affairs.  Rallying  their  forces,  they  turned 
upon  their  assailants  in  right  good  earnest,  and  a  des- 
perate hancl-to-hancl  engagement  ensued.  The  white 
men  now  had  an  opportunity  to  use  their  small  arms, 
which  told  with  such  terrible  effect  upon  their  foes 
that  they  were  soon  driven  back  again.  They,  how- 
ever, rallied  once  more  and  charged  so  manfully  that 
the  trappers  were  forced  to  retreat.  In  this  latter  en- 
gagement a  horse  belonging  to  a  mountaineer  by  the 
name  of  Cotton,  fell,  throwing  his  rider  and  holding  him 
on  the  ground  by  his  weight.  This  happened  as  he 
was  passing  a  point  of  rocks.  Six  of  the  warriors,  see- 
ing, the  accident,  instantly  hurried  forward  to  take  Cot- 
ton's scalp.  But  Kit  Carson's  eagle  eye  was  watching 
every  part  of  the  battle-field,  and  discovered,  in  time 
to  be  of  service,  the  danger  to  which  his  friend  was 
exposed.  Although  some  distance  off,  Kit  sprang  from 
his  saddle,  and  with  the  leap  of  an  antelope,  and  the 
rallying  cry  for  his  men,  was  on  the  ground,  ready  to 
make  a  certain  shot.  His  aim  and  the  crack  of  his  rifle 
almost  belonged  to  the  same  instant  of  time.  It  was 
none  the  less  sure.  The  foremost  warrior,  a  powerful 
savage,  whose  fingers  evidently  itched  for  the  scalp  of 
the  mountaineer,  fell,  shot  through  the  heart.  By  this 
time  others  had  followed  the  bold  example  of  their 
leader,  when  the  five  remaining  warriors,  seeing  the 
imminent  danger  which  threatened  them,  turned  to 
run  back  into  their  band.  But  two  of  them,  however, 
reached  a  place  of  safety.  The  remainder,  caught  in 
their  fleet  career  by  the  unerring  and  death-dealing 
bullets  of  the  mountaineers,  measured  their  lengths 
upon  the  battle-ground,  stricken  with  wounds  which  de- 


136  AN    EXCITING    SKIRMISH. 

manded  and  received  from  them  their  last  wild  war- 
whoop. 

When  Kit  Carson  fired,  his  horse,  being  under  no 
restraint,  became  frightened  and  dashed  away,  leaving 
his  brave  rider  on  foot.  Kit,  however,  instantly  com- 
prehended his  position.  The  fallen  horseman  had  suc- 
ceeded* in  extricating  himself,  but  not  without  difficulty, 
for  the  ground  was  very  uneven.  He  had  received  a 
few  pretty  severe  contusions,  but  was,  notwithstanding 
these,  worth  a  dozen  Indians  yet,  and  failed  not  to  show 
the  fact.  Seeing  Cotton  thus  all  right,  Kit  Carson 
made  his  way  to  one  of  his  companions,  and.  as  the 
fighting  had,  apparently  by  mutual  consent,  ceased  for 
a  few  moments,  mounted  up  behind  him,  and  thus  re- 
joined the  main  body  of  his  men.  The  runaway  horse, 
after  quite  a  chase,  was  soon  captured  by  a  trapper  and 
returned  to  his  captain.  A  period  of  inactivity  now 
reigned  over  the  battle-field,  each  party  apparently 
waiting  for  the  other  to  again  open  the  ball.  During 
this  resting  spell,  the  reserve  division  of  the  trappers 
came  in  sight,  having  been  anxiously  expected  for  some 
time.  The  Indians  showed  no  fear  at  this  addition  to 
the  number  of  their  adversaries.  On  the  contrary, 
being  no  doubt  carried  away  by  their  recent  success 
in  making  a  stand,  they  commenced  posting  themselves 
among  the  rocks  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  dis- 
tant from  the  position  taken  up  by  the  trappers.  The 
arrival  of  the  reserve  was  a  great  relief  to  the  advance, 
because  they  were  tired  of  fighting  without  ammuni- 
tion. Having  well  filled  their  ammunition  pouches 
they  once  more  became  eager,  for  the  affray.  Every- 
thing being  in  readiness,  with  a  cheer,  they  started  on 
foot  to  attack  and  dislodge  the  enemy.     In  a  few  mo- 


Although  some  distance  off,  Kit  sprang  from  his  saddle,  and,  with  the  leap  of  an 
antelope,  and  the  rallying  cry  for  his  men,  was  on  the  ground,  ready  to  made  a  cer- 
tain shot.  His  aim  and  the  crack  of  his  rifle  almost  belonged  to  the  same  instant  of 
time.— Page  135. 


FIGHTING   AMONG    THE    ROCKS.  139 

ments  was  commenced  the  severest  skirmish  of  the 
day.  It  became  so  exciting  that  frequently  a  trapper 
would  occupy  one  side,  and  a  stalwart  warrior  the 
other,  of  some  large  rock,  each  intent  upon  the  life  of 
his  adversary.  In  such  cases  it  required  the  closest 
watchfulness  and  the  utmost  dexterity  to  kill  or  dis- 
lodge the  bold  savage.  The  power  of  powder  in  the 
hands  of  skillful  men  soon  began  to  assert  its  superior- 
ity in  the  battle,  and  when  once  the  Indians  commenced 
to  waver,  it  was  all  over  with  them.  Their  first  wa- 
vering soon  broke  into  a  complete  rout,  when  they  ran 
for  their  lives.  As  they  scattered  in  every  direction, 
the  pursuit  which  followed  wTas  short.  In  this  battle 
the  trappers  considered  that  they  had  thoroughly  set- 
tled all  outstanding  accounts  with  the  Blackfeet  In- 
dians, for  they  had  killed  a  large  number  of  their  war- 
riors and  wounded  many  more.  On  their  side  three 
men  only  were  killed  and  a  few  severely  wrounded. 

Fontenelle  and  his  men  camped  for  a  few  days  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  scene  of  their  late  engagement,  burying 
their  dead  and  repairing  damages.  They  then  resumed 
the  business  of  trapping,  traversing  the  Blackfeet  coun- 
try whenever  they  chose,  without  fear  of  molestation. 
The  success  in  their  late  engagement  seemed  to  follow 
them  in  their  business,  for  their  stock  of  fur  accumu- 
lated rapidly. 

While  they  were  encamped  upon  Green  River,  an 
express  rider,  sent  by  the  traders,  came  into  camp  and 
informed  the  party  that  the  rendezvous  would  be  held 
on  Mud  River.  With  a  large  stock  of  beaver,  the  party 
started  for  that  place,  arriving  in  eight  clays. 

Besides  the  usual  traders  and  trappers,  the  party  met 
at  this  rendezvous  some  missionaries  and  a  distinguished 


140  "old  fathek  de  smidt." 

English  nobleman,  Sir  William  Stuart.  Of  this  latter 
gentleman,  Kit  Carson  says :  "  For  the  goodness  of  his 
heart  and  numerous  rare  qualities  of  mind,  he  will 
always  be  remembered  by  those  of  the  mountaineers 
who  had  the  honor  of  his  acquaintance." 

Among  the  missionaries  was  "  Old  Father  De  Smidt," 
as  he  afterwards  came  to  be  familiarly  called.  Perhaps 
there  never  was  a  person  in  the  wilds  of  America  who 
became  so  universally  beloved,  both  by  the  white  and 
red  man.  While  in  the  mountains,  he  acted  with  un- 
tiring zeal  for  the  good  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  Wherever  duty  called  him,  there  he  was  sure 
to  be  found,  no  matter  what  the  obstacles  or  dangers 
spread  upon  the  path.  He  worked  during  a  long  series 
of  years  in  these  dangerous  localities,  and  accomplished 
much  good.  When,  at  last,  he  returned  to  civilization, 
he  left  an  indelible  name  behind  him.  For  }rears  he 
was  a  leading  literary  and  religious  man  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place 
only  a  short  time  ago,  was  beloved  and  respected  by 
all  that  knew  him. 

In  twenty  days  after  the  camp  at  the  rendezvous  was 
formed,  it  broke  up  again  into  small  parties.  Kit  Car- 
son, with  seven  companions,  went  to  Brown's  Hole. 
This  was  a  trading  post.  Here  they  found  two  traders 
who  were  contemplating  getting  up  a  business  expedi- 
tion to  the  Navajoe  Indians.  This  tribe  exhibits  more 
traces  of  white  blood  than  any  other  of  the  wild  races 
in  North  America.  They  are  brave,  and  fond  of  own- 
ing large  possessions.  These  consist  chiefly  of  immense 
herds  of  fine  horses  and  sheep.  In  this  respect  they 
are  not  unlike  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  earth, 
who  "  watched  their  roving  store"  on  Syrian  soil  and 


AMONG    THE    NAVAJOES.  141 

the  contiguous  countries.  The  parties  who  desired  to 
trade  with  them  usually  carried  a  stock  of  trinkets  and 
articles  of  use,  for  which  they  received  horses,  mules, 
blankets,  and  lariets.* 

Navajoe  blankets  are  very  celebrated  in  the  far  west 
of  America,  and  especially  in  Old  Mexico,  where  they 
are  in  great  demand  and  command  high  prices.  Many 
of  these  articles  are  really  beautiful,  and,  from  their 
fine  texture,  together  with  the  great  amount  of  labor 
spent  in  their  manufacture,  are  expensive,  even  when 
purchased  of  the  Indians.  The  art  of  weaving  these 
blankets  has  been  long  known  to  the  Navajoe  Indians, 
and  all  the  female  children  belonging  to  the  nation  are 
taught  the  art  during  their  earliest  years.  It  is  only 
after  much  practice,  however,  that  they  become  expert. 

Kit  Carson  joined  the  two  traders,  whose  names  were 
Thompson  and  Sinclair,  and  made  the  trip  with  them 
which  they  had  planned.  They  realized  very  hand- 
somely from  it,  bringing  back  a  large  drove  of  very 
fine  mules.  The  animals  were  driven  to  the  Fort,  on 
the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte,  where  they  were  disposed 
of  at  fair  prices.  Having  received  his  share  of  the 
profits,  Kit  returned  again  to  Brown's  Hole.  The  sea- 
son was  too  far  gone  for  him  to  think  of  joining  another 
trapping  expedition  that  fall.  He  therefore  began  to 
look  about  for  some  suitable  employment  for  the 
winter.  As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  his  services 
were  open  for  an  engagement,  several  offers  were  made 
him,  all  of  which  he  rejected.  The  reader  will  doubt- 
less see  a  contrast  between  the  Kit  Carson  renowned 
as  a  trapper  and  hunter,  and  the  Kit  Carson  who,  at 

*  A  lariet  is  a  beautifully  made  rope,  manufactured  from  hides,  and  used  for  picketing 
horses  out  upon  the  prairies.    They  are  worth,  in  New  Mexico,  about  two  dollars  each. 


142  HUNTER    TO    THE    FORT. 

Taos,  only  a  few  years  before,  was  glad  to  hire  out  as 
a  cook,  in  order  to  gain  his  daily  sustenance.  For  some 
time,  strong  inducements  of  high  wages  had  been  held 
out  to  him  by  the  occupants  of  the  Fort,  in  order  to 
prevail  upon  him  to  accept  the  responsible  and  ardu- 
ous office  of  Hunter  to  the  Fort.  The  task  of  supply 
ing,  by  the  aid  of  the  rifle,  all  the  flesh  twenty  men 
would  naturally  consume  during  an  entire  winter, 
formed  the  duty  required  and  expected  from  this  offi- 
cer. The  inducements  were  so  tempting,  the  task  so 
congenial  with  his  feelings,  and  withal,  the  urgent  per- 
suasions of  the  men  so  pressing,  that  Kit  Carson  finally 
accepted  the  offer  and  entered  upon  his  duties.  He 
soon  showed  the  company  that  he  knew  his  business, 
and  could  perforin  it  with  an  ease  and  certainty  which 
failed  not  to  elicit  universal  esteem  and  commendation. 
When  the  time  arrived  for  him  to  resign  the  office  in 
the  spring,  he  left  behind  him  golden  opinions  of  his 
skill  as  a  marksman. 


ANOTHER    TRAPPING   EXPEDITION.  143 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Bridger  and  Carson  trapping  on  the  Black  Hills — The  Main  Camp — The 
Rendezvous — AVinter  Quarters  on  the  Yellow  Stone — Carson  with 
forty  men  in  a  desperate  tight  with  the  Blackfeet  Indians — A  Council 
— Sentinel  posted — One  Thousand  Warriors  come  to  punish  the 
Trappers — The  War  Dance — The  Courage  of  the  Savages  deserts 
them — Winter  Quarters — The  Spring  Hunt — Another  Fight  with  the 
Blackfeet — Continued  Annoyances — The  Trappers  abandon  the  Coun- 
try— Scenery  on  the  Columbia — The  Rocky  Mountains  and  Alps 
compared — Other  Trapping  Expeditions — Beaver  becoming  scarce — 
Prices  of  Fur  reduced — Kit  Carson  and  the  Trappers  give  up  their 
Vocation — The  Journey  to  Bent's  Fort — Mitchell  the  Mountaineer — 
His  Eccentricities. 

In  the  spring,  Kit  Carson  joined  Bridger.  With 
four  companions  they  went  to  the  Black  Hills  to  hunt. 
In  the  streams  adjacent  to  that  country,  the  beaver  ex- 
isted in  large  numbers,  and  their  success  in  trapping 
was  excellent. 

Soon  after  arriving,  however,  the  party  broke  up. 
Kit  Carson  and  a  trapper  named  Owens  made  a  hunt 
by  themselves,  and  were  very  fortunate  in  obtaining  a 
large  stock  of  the  fur.  After  which  they  joined  the 
main  camp  of  the  trappers  on  Green  River.  When 
the  summer  was  pretty  well  advanced,  the  camp  was 
broken  up  and  all  its  occupants  started  for  the  rendez- 
vous, this  year  held  on  the  Popoayhi,  a  branch  of  the 
Wind  River. 

In  the  fall,  most  of  the  trappers  went  to  the  country 
which  lies  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Yel- 


144  AGAIN    AFTER   THE    RED -SKINS. 

low   Stone    River.     Having    trapped    all  the    streamy 
there,  they  went  into  winter  quarters  on  that  stream. 

Nothing  was  heard  of  their  sworn  enemies,  the  Black- 
feet  Indians,  until  about  the  middle  of  the  winter.  A 
party  who  were  out  hunting  suddenly  came  upon  some 
signs  which,  looking  suspicious,  attracted  their  attention. 
To  these  signs  they  gave  a  close  investigation,  and  fully 
made  up  their  minds  that  they  were  close  to  the  strong- 
hold of  their  foes.  Without  waiting  to  follow  up  the 
signs,  they  immediately  retraced  their  steps  and  in- 
formed their  party  in  camp  of  their  conviction  that 
trouble  was  brewing.  A  command  of  forty  men  was 
instantly  detailed  to  seek  out  the  Indians  and  give 
them  battle  Kit  Carson  was  once  more  called  upon 
to  lead  the  brave  trappers  in  this  expedition,  and 
everything  was  left  to  his  direction  and  good  judg- 
ment. Soon  after  commencing  their  march,  the  com- 
pany fell  in  with  a  scouting  party  of  the  enemy  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  spot  where  the  fresh  signs  had  been  dis- 
covered. To  this  party  the  trappers  gave  chase,  wisely 
concluding  they  would  run  for  their  main  body.  The 
result  satisfied  their  anticipations.  In  a  short  time  they 
found  themselves  opposed  to  a  strong  band  of  Indians, 
when  a  regular  fight  was  instantly  commenced.  After 
quite  a  spirited  contest,  the  Indians  gave  way  and  re- 
treated, but  in  good  order,  to  an  island  in  the  Yellow 
Stone  River,  where  they  had  previously  erected  strong 
barricades.  Night  put  a  stop  to  the  scenes  of  the  day, 
and  further  action  was  deferred  until  the  next  morning. 
As  soon  as  the  light  would  again  warrant  it,  the  trap- 
pers plunged  into  the  stream  and  made  for  the  island, 
being:  determined  to  dislodge  the  Indians.  To  their 
great  dismay  the  brave  savages  had  already  retreated, 


RED  WITH  FRESH  BLOOD.  145 

having  quietly  given  them  the  slip  during  the  night. 
The  result  of  the  battle  the  day  before  was  now  made 
apparent.  It  was  evident  that  not  much  powder  had 
been  wasted  in  the  action.  The  snow  within  the  forti- 
fication was  red  with  fresh  blood,  and  from  the  place  a 
bloody  trail  led  to  a  hole  in  the  ice  of  the  stream  where 
a  large  number  of  lifeless  bodies  had  been  sunk.  There 
was  nothing  now  to  be  done  except  to  return  to  camp. 
Upon  their  arrival  a  council  was  convened  to  devise 
measures  and  plans  for  their  future  conduct.  It  was 
quite  evident  to  all  that  the  campaign  had  but  just  com- 
menced. It  was  the  general  impression  that  the  main 
village  of  the  Blackfeet  tribe  had  been  located  within 
a  few  miles.  When,  therefore,  the  news  of  their  recent 
severe  loss  should  be  carried  there  by  the  survivors  in 
the  battle,  active  measures  would  be  set  on  foot  to  seek 
revenge.  It  was  the  decision  of  the  council  that  the 
trappers  should  act  chiefly  on  the  defensive.  Measures 
were  immediately  set  on  foot  to  guard  against  surprise. 
To  make  everything  doubly  secure,  none  but  the  most 
trusty  and  well-tried  men  were  detailed  to  perform  sen- 
tinel duty.  Near  their  camp  there  was  a  very  lofty  hill 
which  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. Upon  this  eminence  they  posted  a  sentinel  through- 
out the  dav-time.  Their  arrangements  having  been  all 
determined  upon  and  plans  laid,  the  execution  of  them, 
to  men  so  well  skilled  in  frontier  life,  occupied  but  little 
time.  Notwithstanding  this  celerity  in  their  movements, 
they  had  been  none  too  quick.  Soon  after  their  prepa- 
rations were  fully  made,  the  sentinel  on  the  hill  gave  his 
signal  indicating  the  approach  of  the  Indians,  showing 
that  their  precaution  in  this  respect  had  been  a  wise 
one.    The  order  was  immediately  given  to  erect  strong 


146  AN    INDIAN    WAR -DANCE. 

breastworks.  This  task  was  so  successfully  accomplished 
that,  in  a  few  hours,  they  had  prepared  a  little  fortress 
which,  covered  with  their  unerring  rifles,  was  impreg- 
nable against  any  force  the  Indians  could  bring  against 
it.  The  advance  party  of  the  savages  soon  appeared  in 
sight,  but  when  they  discovered  the  strength  of  the  trap- 
pers, they  halted  and  awaited,  distant  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  breastwork,  the  arrival  of  the  rest  of  the  band. 
It  was  three  days  before  the  whole  force  of  the  Indians 
had  arrived.  They  mustered  about  one  thousand  war- 
riors. It  was  a  sight  which  few  white  men  of  the 
American  nation  have  looked  upon.  Arrayed  in  their 
fantastic  war  costume  and  bedaubed  with  paint,  armed 
with  lances,  bows  and  arrows,  rifles,  tomahawks,  knives, 
etc.,  some  mounted  and  some  on  foot,  they  presented  a 
wild  and  fearful  scene  of  barbaric  strength  and  fancy. 
Soon  after  their  last  company  had  reported,  the  fright- 
ful war-dance,  peculiar  to  the  American  savages,  was 
enacted  in  sight  of  the  trappers'  position.  The  battle 
songs  and  shouts  which  accompanied  the  dance  reached 
the  ears  of  the  whites  with  fearful  distinctness.  Any 
other  than  hearts  of  oak  with  courage  of  steel  would 
have  quailed  before  this  terrible  display  of  savage  en- 
mity and  ferocity.  This  dance,  to  men  so  well  skilled 
in  the  ways  of  the  Indian  warrior,  was  a  sure  signal  that 
the  next  day  would  be  certain  to  have  a  fearful  his- 
tory for  one  party  or  the  other,  and  doubtless  for  both. 
The  odds,  most  assuredly,  were  apparently  greatly  in 
favor  of  the  savage  host  and  against  the  little  band  of 
hardy  mountaineers. 

The  following  day  the  expectations  of  the  trappers 
were  realized.  The  Indians,  at  the  first  dawn  of  day, 
approached  the  breastwork,  eager  for  the  battle.    They 


A.N  INDIAN  WAR  dance. 


AFRAID    TO    FACE    THE    DANGER.  149 

were  evidently  very  much  astonished  at  beholding  the 
invincibility  of  the  trappers'  position.  It  was  what 
they  had  not  calculated  upon,  and  seemed  to  cast  a 
perfect  damper  upon  their  courage.  After  firing  a  few 
shots,  which  did  no  harm,  and  seeing  that  nothing  could 
be  accomplished  except  by  a  charge,  they  commenced 
a  retreat.  The  trappers,  though  only  sixty  strong, 
were  filled  with  disappointment  and  chagrin  at  the 
course  taken  by  their  wary  foes.  They  began  to  shout 
to  their  enemies  in  derisive  terms,  hoping  the  taunts 
wrould  exasperate  and  draw  them  into  an  attack.  Noth- 
ing, however,  would  tempt  them  to  face  the  danger, 
for  they  withdrew  to  a  spot  about  one  mile  from  the 
little  fort  and  sat  down  in  council.  The  speeches  ap- 
peared to  be  generally  opposed  to  risking  an  assault, 
for,  after  the  council  wras  dissolved,  the  Indians  divided 
into  two  nearly  equal  parties  and  immediately  marched 
off.  One  band  took  the  direction  of  the  Crow  country, 
and  the  other  shaped  their  course  in  the  direction  from 
whence  they  came. 

The  trappers  remained  at  their  little  fort  during  the 
winter,  and  were  not  again  disturbed  by  the  Indians. 
Early  in  the  following  spring,  they  set  their  traps  on 
one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  finished 
the  hunt  on  the  head  of  Lewis'  Fork.  They  then  de- 
parted for  the  rendezvous  which  was  held  on  Green 
River,  near  the  mouth  of  Horse  Creek,  remaining  there 
until  the  month  of  August,  and  until  the  meeting  was 
dissolved. 

Kit  Carson,  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  camp  at  the 
rendezvous,  accompanied  by  five  other  trappers,  went 
to  Fort  Hall,  and  joined  a  party  attached  to  the  "  North- 
west Fur  Company."     With  this  band  he  trapped  to 


150  MEETING    OF    OLD    FRIENDS. 

the  head  of  Salmon  River.  Thence  they  went  to 
Malacle  River,  trapping  down  it  to  where  it  empties 
into  the  Big  Snake  River.  They  continued  on  up  this 
latter  river,  and  then,  after  trapping  on  Goose  Creek 
and  Raft  River,  returned  to  Fort  Hall.  Their  stock  of 
fur  was  quite  extensive  on  their  arrival  here,  and,  an 
opportunity  offering  to  dispose  of  it,  they  sold  out  at  a 
fair  valuation.  After  recruiting  their  strength  at  the 
Fort  for  one  month,  Kit  Carson,  accompanied  by  most 
of  the  trappers,  set  out  to  join  Bridger,  who  was  still  in 
the  country  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians.  Upon  striking 
the  Missouri  River,  signs  of  trappers  were  discovered,  in- 
dicating that,  whoever  the  party  or  parties  might  be, 
they  were  now  above  the  place  where  Kit  and  his  party 
then  were.  With  fourteen  companions,  Kit  started  in 
advance  of  the  main  party  to  overtake,  and  report  who 
these  men  were.  Towards  evening  of  the  same  day, 
the  advance  party  came  up  with  the  trappers,  and  found 
that  they  were  under  the  charge  of  Joseph  Gale  and  in 
the  emploj7  of  Captain  Wyatt. 

Gale  informed  Carson  that  his  command  had  recently 
been  engaged  in  a  closely  contested  fight  with  the 
Blackfeet  Indians ;  that  several  of  his  party  had  been 
wounded,  and  one,  by  the  name  of  Richard  Owens,  was 
at  first  thought  to  be  mortally  so,  but  eventually  he 
had  begun  to  recover  and  now  was  doing  well. 

Kit  and  his  men  remained  one  night  with  Gale.  On 
the  following  day  his  party  commenced  setting  their 
traps,  intending  to  proceed  up  the  river  at  a  slow  pace, 
in  order  to  allow  the  main  party  to  overtake  them. 
The  men  sent  out  to  set  their  traps  had  not  gone  from 
the  camp  over  Uvo  miles  before  they  wTere  fired  upon 
by  a  party  of  Blackfeet  Indians  and  compelled  to  re- 


UNEARTHLY  YELLS,  AND  DESPERATE  COURAGE.    151 

treat.  They  did  so,  succeeding  in  joining  their  com- 
rades without  the  loss  of  a  single  man.  The  pursuit 
had  been  close  and  well  sustained  by  the  savages ; 
hence,  it  became  necessary  to  take  instant  measures  in 
order  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  advance.  Kit  Carson, 
who  was  the  commander  of  the  party,  after  quietly 
surveying  the  scene,  gave  orders  for  the  men,  with 
their  animals,  to  conceal  themselves,  as  best  they  could 
in  the  brush.  His  orders  had  been  issued  but  just  in 
time,  for  the  concealment  was  barely  attained,  when 
the  Indians  weie  upon  them.  They  wTere  received 
with  a  well-directed  volley  from  the  rifles  of  the  little 
party,  wThich  brought  down  several  of  the  fierce  assail- 
ants. They  recoiled  and  retreated  for  a  moment.  The 
moment  was  golden  to  the  few  white  men.  Like  men 
who  were  fighting  for  their  lives,  but  who  wTere  cool 
in  danger,  they  made  no  mistakes  in  reloading  their 
rifles.  They  were  but  just  ready,  howrever,  for  the  sec- 
ond charge.  This  time  the  savages  came  on  with  un- 
earthly yells  and  desperate  courage,  seemingly  well 
satisfied  that  before  them  stood  the  men  whose  faithful 
rifle-talk  they  had  heard  before.  Kit  warned  his  men 
to  keep  cool  and  fire  as  if  shooting  game,  a  warning 
which  was  entirely  unnecessary,  for  the  result  was  that 
the  savages  wrere  again  driven  back  with  a  brave  bleed- 
ing or  dying  for  nearly  every  shot  fired.  It  was  very 
fortunate  that  Kit  had  chosen  this  position,  for  the  en- 
gagement lasted  nearly  the  entire  day.  The  loss  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians  was  very  severe.  They  did 
everything  in  their  power  to  force  Kit  and  his  party 
from  their  cover,  but  without  avail.  Every  time  they 
attempted  to  charge  into  the  thicket  the  same  deadly 
volley  was  poured  in  with  never-failing  aim,  which  in- 


152        DRIVEN  OUT  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

variably  caused  the  savages  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 
Before  the  next  attack  the  trappers  were  ready  for  them 
with  reloaded  rifles.  At  last,  as  if  driven  to  despera- 
tion, the  Indians  set  the  thicket  on  fire,  hoping  to  burn 
out  their  foes.  Most  providentially,  in  this  also  they 
were  foiled.  After  consuming  the  outer  shrubbery,  the 
fire  died  out.  This  was  the  last  act  attempted  by  the 
savages.  Seeing  the  ill  success  of  their  effort  to  dis- 
lodge the  trappers  by  fire,  they  departed.  They  may 
have  been  hurried  in  this  leave-taking  somewhat  by 
news  brought  in  by  their  spies  of  the  near  approach 
of  the  main  body  of  the  trappers,  which  had  arrived  at 
a  point  about  six  miles  distant  from  the  battle-ground. 
They  had  been  prevented  from  hearing  the  reports  of 
fire-arms,  by  adverse  winds,  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
fight  until  informed  by  the  trappers  engaged  in  it. 
When  sufficient  time  had  elapsed  for  the  Indians  to 
be  well  out  of  sight.  Kit  Carson  and  his  companions 
left  their  cover  and  soon  found  their  way  into  the 
camp  of  their  friends. 

Gale  was  so  continually  annoyed  by  these  Indians 
that  he  joined  the  other  trappers  and  together  they 
concluded  to  leave  their  country.  Their  combined 
forces,  though  able  to  cope  with  them  so  far  as  defen- 
sive measures  were  necessary,  was  utterly  powerless  to 
overawe  them.  This  made  it  next  to  an  impossibility 
for  them  to  continue  in  their  country  with  a  hope  of 
success  in  business.  For  the  purpose  of  getting  rid  of 
them  they  moved  off,  some  distance,  to  a  small  creek 
where  beaver  were  plenty.  Trouble  followed  them, 
however.  The  first  day  of  their  arrival,  one  of  the 
party  was  killed  by  the  Blackfeet  Indians  within  a  short 
distance  only,  of  the  camp.     During   the  remainder  of 


"the  riveb  op  the  west."  153 

the  stay  made  by  the  party  on  this  stream,  the  rascals 
hovered  around  and  worried  them  to  such  a  degree  that 
a  trapper  could  not  leave  the  camp  without  falling  into 
an  ambuscade  and  being  forced  to  fight  his  way  back 
again. 

It  became  evident  to  all  interested  that,  so  long  as 
such  a  state  of  affairs  existed,  they  could  not  employ 
their  time  with  just  hope  of  advantage.  After  a  short 
council,  it  was  decided  to  abandon  this  region  of  the 
country  and  go  to  a  branch  of  Columbia  River,  near 
Flat  Head  Lake. 

Of  the  many  beautiful  rivers  on  which  Carson  trap- 
ped, none  could  equal  in  scenery  the  Columbia.  It  is 
a  The  River  of  the  West." 

As  described  by  Richardson  :  "  Clear,  blue,  glassy, 
dotted  with  little  islands  of  greenest  foliage,  and  broken 
by  dangerous  rapids,  the  Columbia  is  unrivaled  upon 
our  continent  in  grandeur  and  magnitude.  The  Hud- 
son no  more  compares  with  it  than  does  the  Arkansas 
with  the  Hudson."  "  Beside  it  rise  grand,  abrupt  moun- 
tains, deeply  wooded  with  firs,  crowned  with  stupen- 
dous rocks,  carpeted  by  yellow  moss,  girdled  with 
strands  of  snowy  cloud,  and  streaked  with  water-falls 
of  perfect  whiteness.'  After  several  narrow  escapes 
from  the  troublesome  Blackfeet,  our  party  accomplished 
the  journey,  and  commenced  the  business  of  trapping. 

Proceeding  up  the  river,  on  the  fourth  day,  they 
came,  suddenly,  upon  a  large  village  of  Flathead  and 
Ponclrai  Indians,  who  were  encamped  upon  its  banks. 
These  Indians  were  friendly  to  the  whites.  A  chief  of 
the  Flatheads  and  several  of  his  people  joined  the 
trappers,  and  went  with  them  to  the  Big  Snake  River, 
where  they  established  their   winter  quarters.      The 


154  MOUNTAINS    OF    SNOW. 

winter  passed  away  so  quietly  that  not  a  single  incident 
occurred  beyond  the  usual  routine,  which  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  reader  can  easily  supply.  It  was  quite  cold 
that  season,  and  the  snow  fell  to  a  great  depth.  Every- 
thing, however,  was  arranged  as  best  conduced  to  com- 
fort, and  the  trappers  found  a  pleasant  and  congenial 
exercise  in  hunting  to  supply  their  daily  wants. 

The  winter  seasons  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  are  usu- 
ally fearful  and  severe.  There,  snow-storms  form  moun- 
tains for  themselves,  filling  up  the  passes  for  weeks, 
even  those  which  are  low  being  impracticable  either  for 
man  or  beast.  As  a  set-off  to  all  this,  the  scenery  is 
most  grand,  provided  the  beholder  is  well  housed.  If 
the  case  is  otherwise,  and  he  be  doomed  to  combat  these 
terrible  storms,  his  situation  is  most  critical.  During 
the  summer  months,  the  lofty  peaks  of  this  mighty  chain 
of  mountains,  like  those  of  the  Alps,  are  covered  with 
white  caps  of  snow.  As  time,  the  bright  sun,  and  the 
south  wind  wear  out  these  old-lady  head-gearings,  no 
matter  what  be  the  part  of  the  year,  whether  the  cold 
days  of  January  or  the  hot  days  of  August,  the  snow- 
storms are  faithful  in  replenishing  them.  It  affords  a 
contrast  of  the  elements  of  the  grandest  conception  to 
stand  in  the  shade  of  some  wavy  verdure  of  the  valley, 
wiping  off  the  unbidden  perspiration  from  the  brow,  and, 
at  the  same  instant,  look  upon  a  darkly  threatening 
storm-cloud  powdering  the  heads  of  the  hoary  monster 
mountains  from  its  freight  of  flaky  snow.  So  far,  these 
American  giant  mountains  are  unsurpassed  by  their 
.  Alpine  neighbors  of  Europe.  Not  so  in  the  glaciers. 
Throughout  the  great  range,  there  are  none  of  those 
beautiful  glaciers  to  be  found  that  can  compare  with 
those  possessed  by  their  compeers  in  Europe. 


THE    ALPS    OF    AMERICA.  157 

To  the  traveler  whose  taste  has  led  him  to  wander 
along  the  "  Great  backbones,"  or  vertebra?,  of  the  two 
hemispheres,  preparing  the  mind  to  draw  truthful  con- 
trast, his  pleasantest  reveries  will  find  him  drawing 
comparisons  between  them.  He  is  never  tired,  for  the 
subject  he  cannot  exhaust.  When,  supposing  that  his 
conclusions  are  at  last  made,  and  that  the  Alps  have 
won  the  highest  place  in  favor,  some  forgotten  scene 
from  America  will  assume  the  form  and  shape  of  a  vivid 
recollection,  rife  with  scenic  grandeur  and  sublimity, 
restoring  the  Rocky  chain  to  its  counterpoise ;  then  an 
hour  of  peril  and  fearful  toil  will  come  to  memory,  and, 
until  the  same  mental  process  shall  bring  them  again 
to  an  equilibrium,  the  far-famed  Alps  will  descend  in 
the  balance.  Each  have  their  attractions,  each  their 
grandeur,  each  their  sublimity,  each  their  wonderful, 
awful  silence,  each  their  long  and  glorious  landscape 
views,  while,  to  each,  the  general  contour  is  the  same. 
In  the  point  of  altitude,  the  Rocky  chain,  as  is  well 
known  to  science,  has  the  advantage  ;  but,  in  historical 
science  and  lore,  the  famous  Alps  stand  preeminent. 
True,  it  is  from  ignorance  that  we  are  led  to  concede 
this,  because  no  man  can  give  to  the  world  the  reminis- 
cences of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Their  history,  since 
the  first  red  man  entered  them,  must  forever  rest  in 
oblivion.  In  scenery,  these  mountains  of  the  Western 
Continent  again  carry  off  the  palm,  for  they  strike  the 
observer  as  being  more  bold,  wild,  and  picturesque 
than  their  formidable  rivals.  To  the  foot- worn  traveler, 
who  has  journeyed  thirty  or  forty  days  upon  the  level 
prairies,  seeing  nothing  to  break  the  monotony  of  a  sea 
of  earth,  the  dark  outlines  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
gradually  coming  into  the  view,  never  fail  to  prove  a 


158  MAGNIFICENT    SCENERY. 

refreshing  sight  both  to  the  physical  and  mental  eye. 
They  appear  as  if  descending  from  the  heavens  to  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  perpendicularly,  as  though  in- 
tended to  present  a  perfect  barrier  over  which  no  living 
thing  should  pass.  This  view  never  fails  to  engross  the 
earnest  attention  of  the  traveler,  and  hours  of  gazing 
only  serve  to  enwrap  the  mind  in  deeper  and  more 
fixed  contemplation.  Is  there  not  here  presented  a 
field  such  as  no  other  part  of  this  globe  can  furnish,  in 
which  the  explorer,  the  geologist,  the  botanist  may  sow 
and  reap  a  rich  harvest  for  his  enterprise  ?  To  the 
hunter,  the  real  lover  of,  and  dependent  upon  the  chase, 
there  can  be  no  comparison  between  the  mighty  Alps 
and  the  huge  Rocky  Mountain  Barrier  of  the  American 
Prairies.  The  one  is  destitute  of  animal  life,  while  the 
other  bears  a  teeming  population  of  the  choicest  game 
known  to  the  swift-leaden  messenger  of  the  white  man's 
rifle.  He  who  wishes  to  behold  in  the  same  gaze  beautiful 
valleys,  highly  cultivated  by  a  romantic  and  interest- 
ing race,  in  rich  contrast  with  wonderfully  moulded 
masses  of  earth  and  stone,  covered  with  a  medley  of 
green  foliage  and  white  snow,  let  him  go  the  Alps. 

In  the  following  spring,  Kit  Carson,  accompanied  by 
only  one  trapper,  started  out  to  hunt  the  streams  in 
the  vicinity  of  Big  Snake  River.  The  Utah  nation  of 
Indians  inhabited  this  country,  and  with  them  Kit  Car- 
son stood  on  friendly  footing.  The  business  of  trap- 
ping was  therefore  carried  on  without  fear  of  molesta- 
tion. The  labors  of  the  two  were  crowned  with  great 
success. 

Loaded  with  a  full  cargo  of  fur,  they  soon  after  set 
out  for  Robidoux's  Fort,  which  they  reached  in  safety, 
selling  out  their  stock  to  good  advantage. 


'eHERE  COMES  PAESON  WILLIAMS."       159 

Kit  Carson  made  only  a  short  stop  at  this  Fort.  As 
soon  as  his  fur  was  disposed  of,  he  immediately  organ- 
ized a  small  party  consisting  of  five  trappers  and  made 
a  journey  to  Grand  River.  After  thoroughly  trapping 
this  river,  he  established  himself  at  Brown's  Hole  on 
Green  River  for  the  winter.  Early  in  the  spring  he 
returned  with  the  same  party  to  the  country  of  the 
Utahs  and  hunted  there  for  some  time.  He  then 
went  to  the  middle  Park,  where  they  finished  their 
trapping  operations  and  returned  to  Robidoux's  Fort. 
Here  Kit  met  many  of  his  old  friends  and  associates, 
and  among  them  William  Williams,  better  known  as 
"  Parson  Williams  "  and  "  Old  Bill  Williams."  It  will 
not  be  out  of  place  to  give  a  short  history  of  this  re- 
markable man. 

William  Williams  was  a  most  celebrated  character  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  he  lived  for  many  years. 
At  one  time  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher  in  the  State 
of  Missouri,  wmich  he  frequently  boasted  of  in  after  life. 
Whenever  relating  this  part  of  his  eventful  career,  he 
used  to  say  that  he  wras  so  well  known  in  his  circuit, 
that  the  chickens  recognized  him  as  he  came  riding 
past  the  farm-houses.  The  old  chanticleers  would  crow, 
"  Here  comes  Parson  Williams  !  One  of  us  must  be 
made  ready  for  dinner."  Upon  quitting  the  States,  he 
traveled  extensively  among  the  various  tribes  of  wild 
Indians  throughout  the  far  West  and  adopted  their  man- 
ners and  customs.  Whenever  he  grew  weary  of  one 
nation,  he  would  go  to  another.  To  the  Missionaries, 
he  was  often  very  useful.  He  possessed  the  faculty  of 
easily  acquiring  languages,  and  could  readily  translate 
most  of  the  Bible  into  several  Indian  dialects.  His 
own  conduct,  however,  was  frequently  in  strange  con- 


160  AN    INSANE    GUIDE. 

trast  with  the  precepts  of  that  Holy  Book.  He  next 
turns  up  as  a  hunter  and  trapper  ;  when,  in  this  capac- 
ity, he  became  more  celebrated  for  his  wild  and  daring 
adventures,  than  before  he  had  been  for  his  mild  pre- 
cepts. By  many  of  his  companions,  he  was  looked 
upon  as  a  man  who  was  partially  insane.  Williams 
proved  to  be  a  perfect  enigma  and  terror  to  the  Mexi- 
cans, who  thought  him  possessed  of  an  evil  spirit.  He 
once  settled  for  a  short  time  in  their  midst  and  became 
a  trader.  Soon  after  he  had  established  himself,  he 
had  a  quarrel  with  some  of  his  customers  about  his 
charges.  He  appeared  to  be  instantly  disgusted  with 
the  Mexicans,  for  he  threw  his  small  stock  of  goods 
into  the  street  of  the  town  where  he  lived,  seized  his 
rifle  and  started  again  for  the  mountains.  His  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  over  which  he  had  wanderepl,  was 
very  extensive ;  but,  when  Colonel  Fremont  put  it  to 
the  test,  he  came  very  near  sacrificing  his  life  to  his 
guidance.  This  was  probably  owing  to  the  failing  of 
Williams'  intellect ;  for,  when  he  joined  the  great  ex- 
plorer, he  was  past  the  meridian  of  life.  After  be- 
queathing his  name  to  several  mountains,  rivers  and 
passes,  which  were  undoubtedly  discovered  by  him,  he 
Was  slain  by  the  red  men  while  trading  with  them. 

At  Robidoux's  Fort,  Carson  again  found  a  purchaser 
for  his  fur;  but,  the  prices  at  which  he  was  obliged  to 
sell  them,  did  not  at  all  please  him.  Within  a  few 
years,  the  value  of  beaver  fur  had  greatly  deteriorated. 
This  was  caused  by  the  slow  demand  which  had  gradu- 
ally ruled  at  the  great  emporiums  of  Europe  and 
America.  The  skill  of  the  manufacturer  had  substi- 
tuted a  material  for  the  making  of  hats  which,  while 
it  was  cheaper,  pleased  the  great  race  of  hat-wearers. 


AN    INDIAN  SIGN    OF    MOURNING.  161 

The  beaver  itself  was  becoming  scarce,  owing  to  their 
being  so  diligently  hunted.  It  was  evident  to  Kit  Car- 
son and  many  of  his  mountaineer  companions  that 
their  occupation  was  gradually  becoming  less  profita- 
ble, and  that  it  would  soon  drive  them  into  other  em- 
ployments. Acting  upon  this  impression,  Kit  Carson, 
accompanied  by  "Old  Bill  Williams,"  William  New, 
Mitchell  and  Fredericks,  a  Frenchman,  started  for  Bent's 
Fort,  which  was  then  located  on  the  Arkansas  River, 
near  a  large  forest  of  cotton-wood  trees,  and  which  is, 
even  at  this  day,  known  as  the  "  Big  Timbers."  The 
party  struck  the  river  at  a  point  about  one  hundred 
miles  above  the  Fort,  where,  in  later  years,  was  built  a 
settlement  called  St.  Charles,  and  which  for  many  years 
was  subjected  to  various  kinds  of  annoyances  from  In- 
dians. On  one  occasion  it  was  attacked  by  the  hos- 
tile Utahs  and  Apaches,  who  killed  and  carried  off  as 
prisoners  a  total  of  sixteen  settlers.  Among  the  slain 
was  a  Canadian  who  fought  so  skillfully  and  desper- 
ately before  he  was  dispatched,  that  he  killed  three  of 
his  assailants.  When  his  body  was  found,  it  was  liter- 
ally pierced  through  and  through  with  lance  and  ar- 
row wounds,  while  the  hand  with  which  he  had  caught 
hold  of  some  of  these  weapons,  was  nearly  cut  to 
pieces.  Around  his  corpse,  there  were  a  dozen  horses' 
tails  which  had  been  cut  from  the  horses  which  were 
owned  by  the  dead  warriors,  and  left  there,  as  a  sign 
of  mourning,  by  the  Indians. 

On  reaching  the  river,  two  of  the  party,  Mitchell  and 
New,  concluded  to  tarry  awhile  in  order  to  gratify  their 
humor  for  hunting.  But  Kit  Carson,  with  the  remain- 
der of  the  mountaineers,  continued  on  their  course,  and 
in  three  days'  time  were  safely  lodged  within  the  walls 


162  AN    ECCENTRIC    MOUNTAINEER. 

of  the  Fort.  One  week  subsequently  Mitchell  and  New 
followed  their  companions  to  the  Fort,  but  in  a  sad 
plight.  They  had  not  suspected  danger,  and,  conse- 
quently had  failed  to  guard  against  it.  They  had  been 
surrounded  by  Indians  and  deprived  of  everything  they 
possessed  except  their  naked  bodies.  In  this  denuded 
state  they  arrived  at  the  Fort.  They  were  kindly  re- 
ceived and  provided  for  by  its  noble-hearted  proprie- 
tors, and  for  some  time  enjoyed  a  respite  from  all  their 
troubles. 

This  mountaineer  Mitchell,  full  of  eccentricities  of 
character,  has  seen  the  ups  and  downs  of  a  frontiers- 
man during  a  long  and  eventful  life.  He  once  joined 
the  Oamanche  nation  and  became  one  of  their  braves. 

In  this  capacity  he  won  great  renown  by  the  efficient 
and  active  part  he  took  in  several  engagements  between 
the  tribe  of  his  adoption  and  their  enemies.  His  real 
object  in  turning  Indian  was  to  discover  the  locality  of 
a  gold  mine  which  was  said  to  have  an  existence  in 
some  of  the  mountains  of  northern  Texas.  Having 
convinced  himself  that  the  story  of  the  gold  mine,  like 
many  of  the  tales  and  traditions  which  gain  currency 
in  Indian  countries,  was  entirely  without  foundation, 
Mitchell,  with  some  plausible  excuse,  bid  his  red 
friends  good-by  and  sought  out  his  old  comrades,  the 
trappers,  to  whom  he  ever  afterwards  proved  faithful. 
Some  years  since,  Mitchell  paid  a  trading  visit  to  the 
States.  On  his  route  it  became  necessary  that  he  should 
pass  over  the  Kansas  Territory,  just  at  a  time  when  po- 
litical difficulties  there  were  exciting  the  people  to  the 
highest  pitch  of  anxiety.  The  consequence  was,  that 
his  views  upon  the  all-absorbing  questions  at  issue 
were  frequently  asked  for  by  members  of  both  parties. 


DISGUSTED    WITH    THE    WHITES.  163 

To  all  these  queries  he  invariably  replied,  professing 
his  ignorance  of  everything  that  appertained  thereto. 
This  caused  him  to  be  regarded  as  a  dangerous  man, 
and  one  not  to  be  trusted.  He  was  accordingly  treated 
with  indifference  and  silent  reserve.  This,  to  a  moun- 
taineer, who,  during  a  long  period  of  years,  had  met 
every  "  pale  face  "  as  a  brother,  was  insupportable  usage. 
In  all  haste  he  finished  his  business,  relinquished  his  con- 
templated journey  through  the  States,  and  started  to 
return  to  his  home  in  New  Mexico.  While  upon  the 
road,  he  accidentally  fell  in  with  a  friend,  and,  in  reply 
to  the  question,  Where  have  you  been  ?  said : 

"After  a  lapse  of  many  years,  I  thought  I  should  like 
to  see  the  whites  again,  so  I  was  going  to  the  States. 
But  the  sample  I  have  seen  in  Kansas  is  enough  to  dis- 
gust a  man  with  their  character.  They  do  nothing  but 
get  up  war-parties  against  one  another ;  and  I  would 
much  rather  be  in  an  Indian  country  than  in  civilized 
Kansas."  Mitchell  is  full  of  dry  humor  and  commands 
the  faculty  of  telling  a  good  story,  which  makes  him  a 
pleasant  traveling  companion. 

Since  the  time  when  Kit  Carson  first  joined  a  trap- 
ping expedition,  up  to  the  time  of  his  arrival  at  Bent's 
Fort,  a  period  of  eight  long  years,  he  had  known  no 
rest  from  arduous  toil.  Not  even  when,  to  the  reader, 
he  was  apparently  idle,  buried  in  the  deep  snows  of  the 
Bocky  Mountains  and  awaiting  the  return  of  Spring, 
has  he  rested  from  toil.  Even  then  his  daily  life  has 
been  given  up  to  bodily  fatigue  and  danger,  frequently 
in  scenes  which,  although  of  thrilling  interest,  are  too 
lengthy  for  this  narrative.  It  has  been  our  purpose 
thus  far  to  present  Kit  Carson  undergoing  his  novitiate. 
We  regard,  and  we  think  a  world  will  eventually  re- 

10 


164  TEAKS    OF    STIRRING,    PRACTICAL    LIFE. 

gard,  this  extraordinary  man  as  one  raised  up  by  Prov- 
idence to  fulfill  a  destiny  of  His  all-wise  decree.  It  is 
premature  for  us,  at  this  stage  of  our  work  to  advance 
the  argument  upon  which  this  conclusion,  so  irresistibly 
to  our  mirid,  is  deduced.  We  have  yet  before  us  an 
array  of  historical  fact  and  incident  to  relate,  without 
parallel  in  the  history  of  nations,  and  in  which  Kit 
Carson  played  no  insignificant  part.  For  these  eight 
years  of  stirring,  practical  life,  Kit  Carson,  relying  upon 
his  beloved  rifle  for  his  sustenance  and  protection,  had 
penetrated  every  part  of  the  interior  of  the  North 
American  Continent,  setting  his  traps  upon  every  river 
of  note  which  rises  within  this  interior,  and  tracing  them 
from  the  little  springs  which  originate  them  to  the  wide 
mouths  from  which  they  pour  their  surcharged  waters 
into  the  mighty  viaducts  or  drains  of  the  vast  prairies, 
and  the  mighty  leviathan  ranges  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. In  this  time  he  had  wandered  over  a  wild  terri- 
tory equal  in  its  dimensions  to  nearly  all  of  the  em- 
pires, kingdoms  and  principalities  of  Europe  combined. 
His  journeys,  as  it  has  already  appeared,  were  made 
sometimes  on  foot  and  sometimes  on  horseback.  By 
themselves,  his  travels  will  be  called  no  trivial  under- 
takings. Each  fresh  adventure  led  him  into  regions 
where  but  seldom,  and  more  frequently  never,  had  a 
white  man  trod  the  soil.  He  was,  therefore,  now  an 
explorer  in  every  sense  of  that  distinguishing  word, 
with  the  single  exception  that  he  had  not  produced  the 
results  which  the  early  culture  and  advantages'  of  a 
scientific  and  classical  education  might  have  brought 
about.  But  the  history  of  the  world  furnishes  few  ex- 
amples, if  indeed  any,  where  the  physical  training,  prac- 
tical skill  and  knowledge  of  a  country,   as  possessed 


GOD  IN  NATURE;  GOD  IN  EVENTS.       165 

by  Kit  Carson,  have  been  united  with  scholastic  lore. 
At  all  events,  in  the  wisdom  of  that  special  Prov- 
idence which  was  intending  the  gold  mines  of  Cali- 
fornia to  be  consecrated  to  the  advancement  of  Ameri- 
can civilization,  with  its  religious  freedom,  personal 
liberties  and  sacred  literature,  the  novitiate  of  Kit  Car- 
son was  decreed  to  be  wholly  of  a  practical  nature.  But 
while  Kit  Carson,  with  his  rifle,  was  thus  reared  up  in 
character,  courage  and  experience,  the  same  All-wise 
hand  was  directing  the  pathway  of  a  mind,  equal  to 
accomplish  His  call,  through  all  the  labyrinths  of  Sci- 
ence, History  and  the  Arts,  endowing  that  mind  with 
a  keenness  of  intellectual  grasp  in  strange  contrast 
with  the  practical  skill  of  its  future  guide.  Those  who 
see  no  God  in  nature,  no  God  in  events,  may  batter 
away  at  this  proposition.  The  record  of  Kit  Carson's 
future  tasks  wrill  prove  it  to  be  an  invincible  stronghold 
of  theory. 

Kit  Carson's  mind  had  now  become  well  stored  with 
facts  and  localities  which  wrere  destined  to  be  made 
known  to  the  world  through  his  connections  with  oth- 
ers. It  is  not  detracting  from  the  merits  of  any  one  to 
assert  that,  without  frontiersmen  like  Kit  Carson,  the 
numerous  scientific  expeditions  which  have  been  sent 
out  by  the  United  States  Government  to  explore  the 
far  West,  would  have  returned  but  sorry  and  meagre 
records  for  their  employers.  After  reading  some  of 
the  many  printed  accounts  which  parties  of  a  more  re- 
cent date  have  gathered  from  their  experience,  while 
making  their  way  overland  to  the  Pacific,  and  also  the 
sad  fate  of  some  brave  men,  wTith  noble  hearts,  who 
have  fallen  a  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  science  under 
the   fatal  blows    of   hostile    savages,    attributable,    no 


166  THE    HARDSHIPS    OF    LIFE. 

doubt,  in  some  measure,  to  bad  advice,  we  can  thus 
more  easily  form  a  correct  judgment  of  the  hardships 
which  Kit  Carson  was  called  upon  to  endure,  and  the 
wisdom  or  skill  which  he  had  displayed  in  surmounting 
every  obstacle  on  his  wild  and  solitary  pathway.  The 
hardships  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  "  trappers  of  olden 
time  "  also  stand  out  in  bolder  relief.  Out  of  the  whole 
catalogue  of  labors,  from  which  man,  to  gain  an  honest 
livelihood,  has  selected,  there  is  not  one  profession 
which  presents  so  many  formidable  obstacles  as  that 
under  consideration ;  yet,  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
the  mountaineers  could  wean  themselves  from  their 
calling,  even  when  forced  by  stern  necessity. 


HUNTER    TO    THE    FORT.  167 


OHAPTEE  TIL 

Kit  Carson  is  employed  as  Hunter  to  Bent's  Fort — His  career  for  Eight 
Years — Messrs.  Bent  and  St.  Vrain — The  Commencement  of  his  Ac- 
quaintance with  John  C.  Fremont  on  a  Steamboat — Is  employed  as  a 
Guide  by  the  Great  Explorer — The  Journey — Arrival  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie— Indian  Difficulties The  business  of  the  Expedition  completed 

— Return  to  Fort  Laramie — Kit  Carson  goes  to  Taos  and  is  married 
— He  is  employed  as  Hunter  to  a  Train  of  Wagons  bound  for  the 
States — Meeting  with  Captain  Cook  and  four  companies  of  U.  S. 
Dragoons  on  Walnut  Creek — Mexicans  in  Trouble — Kit  Carson  car- 
ries a  letter  for  them  to  Santa  Fe — Indians  on  the  route — His  safe 
Arrival — Amijos'  advance  Guard  massacred  by  the  Texans — The  one 
Survivor — The  Retreat — Kit  Carson  returns  to  Bent's  Fort — His  Ad- 
ventures with  the  Utahs  and  narrow  escape  from  Death — The  Tex- 
ans disarmed — The  Express  Ride  performed. 

It  has  already  appeared  that  Kit  Carson  was  now  at 
Bent's  Fort ;  also,  that  his  occupation  as  a  trapper  of 
beaver  had  become  unprofitable.  His  services  were, 
however,  immediately  put  into  requisition  by  Messrs. 
Bent  and  St.  Vrain,  the  proprietors  of  what  was  called 
Bent's  Fort,  which  was  a  trading-post  kept  by  those 
gentlemen.  The  position  which  he  accepted  was  that 
of  hunter  to  the  Fort.  This  office  he  filled  from  that 
time  with  the  most  undeviating  fidelity  and  prompti- 
tude for  eight  consecutive  years.  During  all  of  this 
long  period  not  a  single  word  of  disagreement  passed 
between  him  and  his  employers,  which  fact  shows  better 
than  mere  words  that  his  duty  was  faithfully  and  satis- 
factorily performed.     It  is  but  seldom  that  such  a  fact 


168  "  MONARCH    OF    THE    PRA1K1ES." 

can  be  stated  of  any  employee,  no  matter  what  the 
service.  Here,  however,  was  an  example  in  which  the 
nature  of  the  emploj^ment  would,  of  itself,  at  times 
present  cause  for  discord,  such  as  scarcity  of  game,  bad 
luck,  and  men  hungry  in  consequence.  But  Kit  Car- 
son was  too  skillful  in  his  profession  to  allow  such 
reasons  to  mar  his  fortunes.  With  the  effort  the  game 
always  was  at  hand,  for  it  was  not  his  custom  to  return 
from  his  hunts  empty-handed. 

Of  course,  Kit  Carson's  duties  were  to  supply  the 
traders  and  their  men  with  all  the  animal  food  they 
wanted,  an  easy  task  when  game  was  plenty ;  but  it 
would  often  happen  that  bands  of  Indians,  which  were 
always  loitering  about  the  trading-post,  would  precede 
him  in  the  chase,  thereby  rendering  his  labors  often- 
times very  difficult.  From  sunrise  to  sunset,  and  not 
unfrequently  during  the  night,  he  wandered  over  the 
prairies  and  mountains  within  his  range  in  search  of 
food,  for  the  maintenance,  sometimes,  of  forty  men  who 
composed  the  garrison  of  the  Fort,  and  who  were 
dependent  on  the  skill  of  their  hunter  ;  but  rarely  did 
he  fail  them.  He  knew,  for  hundreds  of  miles  about 
him,  the  most  eligible  places  to  seek  for  game.  During 
the  eight  years  referred  to,  thousands  of  buffalo,  elk, 
antelope,  and  deer  fell  at  the  crack  of  Kit  Carson's 
rifle.  Each  day  so  added  to  his  reputation  that  it  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  considering  the  practice  of  his 
previous  life,  that  he  became  unrivaled  as  a  hunter. 
His  name  spread  rapidly  over  the  Western  Continent 
until,  with  the  rifle,  he  was  the  acknowledged  "  Monarch 
of  the  Prairies."  The  wild  Indians,  accustomed  to 
measure  a  man's  greatness  by  the  deeds  which  he  is 
capable  of  performing  with  powder  and  lead,  were  com- 


S#JS§£=-^rr:" 


^S^S^^fSSfT^  & 


-^^i^K^l.^i 


KIT  AND  HIS  FAVORITE  HORSE  "APACHE." 


AN"    HONORED    GUEST.  171 

pletely  carried  away  in  their  admiration  of  the  man. 
Among  the  Arrapahoes,  Cheyennes,  Kiowas,  and  Caman- 
ches,  Kit  Carson  was  always  an  honored  guest  when- 
ever he  chose  to  visit  their  lodges  ;  and  many  a  night, 
while  seated  at  their  watch-fires,  he  has  narrated  to 
them  the  exciting  scenes  of  the  day's  adventures,  to 
which  they  have  listened  with  eager  attention  and  un- 
restrained delight.  When  arrayed  in  his  rouo-h  hunt- 
ing  costume,  and  mounted  upon  his  favorite  charger 
"Apache,"  a  splendid  animal,  Kit  Carson  was  a  picture 
to  behold.  The  buffalo  were  his  favorite  game,  and 
well  were  they  worthy  of  such  a  nol,>le  adversary.  In 
the  eyes  of  a  sportsman,  the  buffalo  is  a  glorious  prey. 
To  hunt  them  is  oftentimes  attended  with  great  danger; 
and,  while  thus  engaged,  many  a  skillful  man  has 
yielded  up  his  life  for  his  temerity. 

The  American  bison  or  buffalo  seems  to  demand  at 
our  hands  a  short  episode  from  the  narrative  of  Kit 
Carson's  life.  This  animal  has  several  traits  of  charac- 
ter peculiarly  his  own.  If  alarmed,  he  starts  off  almost 
instantly  and  always  runs  against  the  wind,  his  sense  of 
smell  appearing  to  be  better  than  his  eyesight.  What 
is  a  most  remarkable  fact,  a  herd  of  buffalo,  when  graz- 
ing, always  post  and  maintain  a  line  of  sentinels  to 
warn  the  main  body  of  the  approach  of  danger.  When 
a  strange  object  comes  within  sight  or  smelling  distance, 
these  sentinels  immediately  give  the  alarm  by  tossing 
up  their  heads  and  tails  and  bellowing  furiously.  The 
whole  herd  instantly  heed  the  warning  and  are  soon  in 
motion.  Buffalo  run  with  forelegs  stiff,  which  fact, 
together  with  their  ugly-looking  humps  and  the  low- 
ness  of  their  heads,  gives  a  rocking  swing  to  their  gait. 
If  a  herd,  when  in  full  motion,  have  to  cross  a  road  on 


172  HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO. 

which  wagons  are  traveling,  they  change  their  course 
but  little ;  and,  it  sometimes  happens,  that  large  bands 
will  pass  within  a  stone's  throw  of  a  caravan.  During 
the  early  days  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail  Road  it  was  a 
common  thing  to  shoot  buffalo  from  the  trains.  At 
night  the  bands  are  quite  systematic  in  forming  their 
camps.  In  the  center  are  placed  the  cows  and  calves ; 
while,  to  guard  against  the  wolves,  large  numbers  of 
which  always  follow  them,  they  station  on  their  out- 
posts, the  old  bulls.  The  age  to  which  a  buffalo  may  at- 
tain is  not  known ;  but,  it  is  certain  that  they  are  gen- 
erally long-lived  when  not  prematurely  cut  off.  When 
their  powers  of  life  begin  to  fade,  they  fall  an  easy  prey 
to  the  small,  carnivorous  animals  of  the  plains.  The 
attempt  has  been  made  to  domesticate  and  render  them 
useful  for  agricultural  purposes.  Hitherto  such  efforts 
have  invariably  failed.  When  restrained  of  their  free- 
dom, they  are  reduced  to  mere  objects  of  curiosity. 

In  hunting  buffalo  the  most  important  matter  for  the 
attention  of  the  hunter  is  to  provide  himself  with  a 
suitable  horse.  The  best  that  can  be  selected  is  a 
trained  Mexican  or  Indian  pony.  Their  familiarity 
with  the  game  and  the  prairies,  over  which  the  hunter 
must  ride  at  full  speed,  renders  these  horses  quite  safe. 
On  the  other  hand  a  green  horse  is  sure  to  be  terribly 
frightened  when  called  upon  to  face  these  ugly-looking 
animals,  and  the  rider  will  find  he  has  his  hands  full 
to  manage  him  without  thinking  of  his  game.  One 
great  danger  to  be  apprehended  is  the  being  led  into 
a  prairie-dog  town.  Here  a  horse  needs  experience  to 
carry  his  rider  through  with  safety.  Upon  reaching 
the  herd,  the  hunter  dashes  in  at  the  cows,  which  are 
easily  recognized  by  the  fineness  of  their  robes    and 


EXCITING    SPORT.  173 

their  smaller  forms.  The  white  man  hunter,  of  all 
weapons,  prefers  a  revolver ;  but  the  red  man  uses 
the  lance,  and  bow  and  arrows,  which  he  handles  with 
remarkable  dexterity.  The  place  of  election  to  make 
the  deadly  wound  is  just  behind  the  fore  shoulder, 
where  the  long,  shaggy  mane  of  the  hump  is  intersect- 
ed by  the  short  hair  of  the  body.  The  death-wound 
being  given,  the  blood  gushes  out  in  torrents,  and  the 
victim,  after  a  few  bounds,  falls  on  her  knees  with  her 
head  bunting  into  the  ground.  If,  by  chance,  a  vital 
organ  is  not  reached,  the  pain  of  the  wound  makes  the 
stricken  animal  desperately  courageous.  She  turns 
upon  her  pursuer  with  terrible  earnestness,  ready  to 
destroy  him.  It  is  now  that  the  horse  is  to  be  de- 
pended upon.  If  well  trained,  he  will  instantly  wheel 
and  place  himself  and  rider  out  of  harm's  way ;  but, 
woe  to  both  horse  and  hunter  if  this  is  not  done.  The 
lives  of  both  are  in  imminent  danger.  In  case  the 
buffalo  is  killed,  the  hunter  rides  up,  dismounts  and 
makes  his  lariet  fast  to  the  horns  of  his  game.  He 
next  proceeds  to  cut  up  the  meat  and  prepare  it  for 
his  pack  animals  which  he  should  have  near  by.  By 
their  aid  he  easily  carries  it  into  camp. 

It  would  doubtless  afford  many  a  page  of  exciting 
interest  could  we  carry  the  reader  through  all  the  va- 
ried scenes  of  the  chase  in  which  Kit  Carson  has  been 
the  principal  actor.  To  transmit  to  our  narrative  a 
choice  fight  with  the  fierce  old  grizzly  bear ;  or,  per- 
chance, a  fine  old  buffalo  bull  turning  on  his  destroyer 
with  savage  ferocity  ;  or,  a  wounded  panther,  with  its 
inevitable  accompaniment  in  the  shape  of  a  hand-to- 
hand  encounter  for  dear  life,  each  of  such  could  not 
fail  in  giving  interest  to  the  general  reader.     We  are 


174  KIT    CARSOX    MARRIED. 

forced,  against  our  own  conviction  of  the  duty  we  owe 
the  public  as  Kit  Carson's  chosen  biographer,  to  pass 
by  all  such  acts  of  his  personal  daring  and  triumph,  be- 
cause of  his  own  unwillingness  to  relate  them  for  pub- 
lication. Notwithstanding  our  urgent  requests,  backed 
up  by  the  advice  and  interference  of  friends,  Kit  Car- 
son was  inflexibly  opposed  to  relating  such  acts  of  him- 
self. He  was  even  more  willing  to  speak  of  his  failures, 
though  such  were  few,  rather  than  of  his  victories  in 
the  chase.  While  the  description  of  these  adventures 
could  not  fail  to  furnish  useful  and  interesting  data, 
most  unfortunately,  Kit  Carson  considered  that  they 
were  uninteresting  minutiae  which  pertained  to  the 
every-day  business  of  his  life,  and  no  persuasion  could 
induce  him  to  enter  upon  their  relation.  Not  so  when 
he  was  entertaining  some  of  the  brave  chiefs  of  the 
Indian  nations,  whose  friendship  he  had  won  by  his 
brave  deeds.  If  they  were  his  guests,  or  he  himself 
theirs,  then  their  delight  to  hear  kindled  a  pride  in  his 
breast  to  relate.  He  knew  that  he  would  not  by  them 
be  called  a  boaster. 

Before  quitting  the  Mountains,  Kit  Carson  married 
an  Indian  girl,  to  whom  he  was  most  devotedly  at- 
tached. By  this  wife  he  had  one  child,  a  daughter. 
Soon  after  the  birth  of  this  child,  his  wife  died.  His 
daughter  he  watched  over  with  the  greatest  solicitude. 
When  she  reached  a  suitable  age,  he  sent  her  to  St. 
Louis  for  the  purpose  of  giving  her  the  advantages  of 
a  liberal  education.  Indeed,  most  of  Kit  Carson's  hard 
earnings,  gained  while  he  was  a  hunter  on  the  Arkan- 
sas, were  devoted  to  the  advancement  of  his  child.  On 
arriving  at  maturity  she  married,  and  with  her  hus- 
band settled  in  California. 


BUFFALO   HUNT.  — Page   173. 


INDIAN    CUSTOMS.  177 

The  libertine  custom  of  indulging  in  a  plurality  of 
wives,  as  adopted  by  many  of  the  mountaineers,  never 
received  the  sanction,  in  thought,  word  or  action,  of 
Kit  Carson.  His  moral  character  may  well  be  held  up 
as  an  example  to  men  whose  pretensions  to  virtuous 
life  are  greater.  Although  he  was  continually  sur- 
rounded by  licentiousness,  he  proved  true  to  her  who 
had  first  gained  his  affections.  For  this  honoring  of 
virtue  he  is  indebted,  in  a  measure,  to  the  sway  which 
he  held  over  the  western  Indian  races.  While  their 
chiefs  are  seldom  men  of  virtuous  act  or  intent,  they 
are  high  in  their  appreciation  of,  and  just  in  their  re- 
wards to  those  whose  lives  are  patterns  of  honor  and 
chastity.  One  of  their  ancient  customs,  well  authen- 
ticated, was  to  honor  the  virtuous  women  of  their 
tribe  with  sacred  titles,  investing  them,  in  their  blind 
belief,  with  power  to  call  down  the  favor,  in  behalf  of 
the  people,  of  their  Manitou,  or  Great  Spirit.  But 
every  woman  who  aspired  to  this  honor  was  required, 
upon  a  certain  day  in  the  year,  to  run  the  gauntlet  of 
braves.  This  was  sometimes  a  terrible  scene.  All  the 
warriors  of  the  tribe,  arrayed  in  their  fiercest  war  cos- 
tume and  armed  at  every  point  with  lance,  bow  and 
arrow,  knife,  tomahawk,  etc.,  were  drawn  up  under 
command  of  the  principal  chief,  in  single  line.  At  the 
head  of  this  line  was  placed  a  kind  of  chaplet,  or  crown, 
the  possession  of  which  by  any  woman  was  supposed 
to  confer  the  power  of  necromancy  or  magic,  rendering 
her  able  to  heal  diseases  and  to  foretell  events.  The 
line  having  been  formed,  all  of  the  young  maidens  of 
the  tribe  were  drawn  up  in  a  body  at  the  further  ex- 
tremity, and  any  of  them  who  aspired  to  the  possession 
of  the  chaplet,  was  at  liberty,  having  first  uncovered 


178  HORRIBLE    BUTCHERY    OF    YOUXG    GIRLS. 

her  back  and  breast  as  far  as  her  waist,  to  march  before 
the  line  of  warriors,  within  ten  paces  of  their  front, 
and,  if  she  lived  to  reach  it,  take  possession  of  the 
crown.  On  the  other  hand,  it  was  the  duty  of  any 
warrior,  who  knew  aught  by  word  or  deed  against  the 
virtue  of  the  advancing  maiden,  to  kill  her  upon  the 
spot.  If  one  arrow  was  shot  at  her,  the  whole  band 
instantly  poured  a  flight  of  arrows  into  her  bare  and 
defenceless  bosom  until  life  was  extinct.  Again,  it 
was  the  belief  of  the  untutored  savage  that  whatever 
warrior  failed  to  make  his  knowledge  apparent,  if  he 
possessed  any,  by  sending  his  arrow  at  the  aspirant, 
would  always  be  an  object  of  revenge  by  the  Great 
Spirit,  both  here  and  hereafter  ^  and,  that  he  would  al- 
ways live  in  the  hereafter,  in  sight  of  the  Happy  Hunt- 
ing- Grounds,  but  never  be  allowed  to  enter  them. 
This  latter  belief  made  it  a  rare  thing  for  young  girls 
to  brave  the  attempt ;  but,  sometimes,  the  candidates 
were  numerous,  and  the  horrible  butchery  of  the 
young  girls  which  took  place  formed  a  terrible  expose 
of  their  lewdness.  To  kill  an  innocent  girl  was  equally 
a  matter  which  would  be  forever  avenged  by  the  Great 
Spirit. 

The  warm  friendship  which  sprang  up  between  Kit 
Carson  and  the  proprietors  of  Bent's  Fort,  under  whom 
he  held  his  situation  as  Hunter,  is  a  sufficient  index  of 
the  gentlemanly  conduct  and  amiability  of  heart  evinced 
towards  him  on  their  part.  The  names  of  Bent  and  St. 
Vrain  were  known  and  respected  far  and  near  in  the 
mountains,  for,  in  generosity,  hospitality,  and  native 
worth,  they  were  men  of  perfect  model. 

Mr.  Bent  was  appointed,  by  the  proper  authority,  the 
first  Civil  Governor   of  New  Mexico,  after  that  large 


GOVERNOR    BENT,    OF    NEW   MEXICO.  179 

and  valuable  country  was  ceded  to  and  came  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  Government.  He  held 
this  distinguished  position,  however,  only  a  short  time, 
for,  in  the  year  1847,  he  was  most  foully  and  treacher- 
ously murdered  by  the  Pueblo  Indians  and  Mexicans. 
A  revolution  had  broken  out  among  this  turbulent 
people,  and,  in  his  endeavors  to  stem  it,  Governor  Bent 
was  frustrated.  At  last,  being  driven  to  his  own  house, 
he  barricaded  the  doors  and  windows.  The  rascally 
rioters,  after  a  severe  contest,  succeeded  in  breaking 
open  his  doors,  and,  having  gained  access  to  their  vic- 
tim, murdered  him  in  cold  blood  in  the  midst  of  his 
family.  The  only  crime  imputed  by  the  mob  against 
this  benevolent  and  just  man  was,  that  he  was  an 
American.  His  untimely  death,  which  was  mourned 
by  all  the  Americans  who  knew  him,  cast  a  settled 
gloom  over  the  community  in  which  he  resided.  The 
Mexicans  were  afterwards  very  penitent  for  the  share 
they  took  in  the  committal  of  this  black  crime.  Although 
several  of  the  guilty  party  are  still  living,  they  have 
left  the  country ;  for  the  mountaineers  have  not  for- 
gotten the  friend  whom  they  esteemed  and  respected, 
and  will  avenge  his  death  if  ever  the  opportunity  offers. 
Cerin  St.  Vrain,  the  surviving  partner  of  this  cele- 
brated trading  firm,  was  equally  noted.  Upon  the 
declaration  of  war  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  St.  Vrain  took  an  active  part  on  the  side  of 
his  country,  and,  from  his  extensive  knowledge  of  the 
Mexican  character,  was  enabled  to  render  important 
services.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  became  exten- 
sively engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  within  the  New 
Territory,  and,  by  his  untiring  industry,  amassed  a  large 
fortune.     He   was  the  first  man   who  discovered  and 


180  COLONEL    ST.    VEA1N. 

recognized  the  superior  skill  of  Kit  Carson  as  a  hunter ; 
and,  for  his  subsequent  success  in  life,  Kit  Carson  was 
much  indebted  to  him. 

Col.  St.  Vrain  died  a  few  years  since  at  Moro,  a  New 
Mexican  town  eighteen  miles  from  Fort  Union,  N.  M., 
and  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  died  of  apoplexy,  at 
the  ripe  age  of  three-score  years  and  ten,  beloved  far 
and  near,  and  looked  upon  in  the  light  of  a  father  by 
all  hunters  and  trappers.  He  was  buried  with  military 
honors  by  the  Eighth  U.  S.  Cavalry.  St.  Vrain  was 
one  of  the  greatest  pioneers  the  West  ever  saw,  and 
was  long  the  head  and  front  of  our  great  fur  com- 
panies. 

Notwithstanding  his  rough  experience,  he  was  a 
polished  gentleman  in  his  manners  and  dealings.  The 
writer  was  for  years  intimate  with  him,  and  attended 
him  in  his  last  sickness,  but  his  modesty  would  never 
allow  him  to  speak  of  his  own  life  and  exploits. 

As  the  reader  can  now  easily  compute,  sixteen  years 
had  elapsed  since  Kit  Carson  commenced  his  exploits  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  During  this  long  period,  as  fre- 
quently as  once  every  year,  he  had  sat  down  to  a  meal 
consisting  of  bread,  vegetables,  meat,  coffee,  tea,  and 
sugar.  .  When  dining  thus  sumptuously,  he  considered 
himself  as  greatly  favored  with  luxuries  of  the  rarest 
grade.  Few  men  can  say,  with  Kit  Carson  :  "  During 
sixteen  years  my  rifle  furnished  nearly  every  particle 
of  food  upon  which  I  lived."  Fewer  can  say,  with 
equal  truth,  that  "  For  many  consecutive  years  I  never 
slept  under  the  roof  of  a  house,  or  gazed  upon  the  face 
of awhite  woman." 

It  was  after  such  an  experience  as  we  have  endeavored 
to  paint  by  the  simple  tale  of  his  life  thus  far,  that  Kit 


CARSON    VISITS    THE    UNITED    STATES.  181 

Carson  longed  once  more  to  look  upon  and  mingle  with 
civilized  people.     For  some  time  before  he  determined 
to  visit  the  United  States,  this  desire  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  his  mind  and  had  been  growing  stronger.     The 
traders  of  the  Fort  were  accustomed,  yearly,  to  send 
into  the  States  a  train  of  wagons,  for  the  purpose  of 
transporting  their  goods.     The  opportunity,  therefore, 
presented  for  Kit  Carson  to  gratify  his  wish.     In  the 
spring  of  1842,  one  of  these  caravans  started,  with  which 
Kit  Carson   traveled   as   a  supernumerary.     When  it 
arrived  within  the  boundary  lines  of  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri, he  parted  from  his  compdgrwns  de  voyage  and 
went  in  quest  of  his  relatives  and  friends,  whom  now 
he  had  not  seen  for  over  sixteen  years.     The  scenes  of 
his  boyhood  days  he  found  to  be  magically  changed. 
New  faces  met  him  on   all   sides.     The  old  log-cabin 
where  his  father  and  mother  had  resided  was  deserted, 
and  its  dilapidated  walls  were  crumbling  with  decay. 
The  once  happy  inmates  were  scattered  over  the  face 
of  the  earth,  while  many  of  their  voices  were  hushed  in 
death.     Kit  Carson  felt  himself  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land — the  strong  man  wept.     His  soul  could  not  brook 
either  the  change  or  the  ways  of  the  people.     While  he 
failed  not  to  receive  kindness  and  hospitality,  to  which 
his  name  alone  was   a  sufficient  passport  among   the 
noble-hearted  Missourians  ;  nevertheless,  he  had  fully 
allayed  his  curiosity,  and,  as  soon  as  possible,  bid  adieu 
to  these  unpleasant  recollections.     He  bent  his  steps 
towards  St.  Louis.     In  this  city  he  remained  ten  days ; 
and,  as  it  was  the  first  time  since  he  had  reached  man- 
hood that  he  had  viewed  a  town  of  any  magnitude,  he 
was  greatly  interested.     But  ten  clays  of  sight-seeing 
wearied  him.     He  resolved  to  return  to  his  mountain 


182     THE    MASTEK-HIND THE    GIANT    INTELLECT. 

home,  where  he  could  breathe  the  pure  air  of  heaven, 
and  where  manners  and  customs  conformed  to  his  wild 
life  and  were  more  congenial  to  his  tastes.  He  en- 
gaged passage  upon  the  first  steam-boat  which  was 
bound  up  the  Missouri  River. 

We  cannot  resist  the  impulse  which  here  struggles 
for  utterance.  Look  upon  that  little  steam-boat  as  it 
ascends  the  mighty  Missouri,  bearing  in  its  bosom  the 
man  who  was  destined  to  point  out  the  hidden  paths  of 
the  mighty  West ;  to  mount  and  record  the  height  of 
the  loftiest  peak  of  the  American  monster  mountain 
chain ;  to  unfold  the  riches  of  the  interior  of  a  great 
and  glorious  empire  to  its  possessors,  and,  finally,  to 
conquer  with  his  good  sword,  preparing  the  way  for  its 
annexation  to  his  country,  the  richest  soil  and  fairest 
land  on  earth,  thus  adding  one  more  glorious  star  to  the 
original  thirteen  of  1776  ;  a  star,  too,  of  the  very  first 
magnitude,  whose  refulgent  brightness  shines  clear, 
sparkling,  and  pure  for  the  Truth  of  Sacred  Writ  and 
American  Liberty.  On  the  deck  of  that  little  steam- 
boat the  two  men — the  one  the  master-mind,  the  giant 
intellect,  the  man  of  research  and  scholastic  strength, 
the  scientific  engineer;  the  other,  than  whom  his 
superior  as  an  American  mountaineer  was  not  living — 
stood,  uninterested  spectators  of  each  other,  and  each 
unconscious  why  they  had  been  permitted  to  enter  the 
same  cabin.  The  Christian  student  of  American  his- 
tory cannot  pass  by  this  simple  circumstance  without 
seeing;  Heaven's  wisdom  in  such  a  coincidence — 
namely,  Kit  Carson,  for  the  first  time  in  sixteen  years, 
bending  his  steps  to  his  boyhood  home,  just  as  his  six- 
teen years  of  mountaineer  skill  and  experience  were 
required  by  one  of  the  master-workmen  of  American 


MEETING    OF    FREMONT    AND    CARSON.  183 

Engineering,  about  to  enter  upon  the  exploration  of  in- 
land North  America. 

Kit  Carson  wandered  over  the  boat,  studying  its 
mechanism,  admiring  the  machinery,  which,  so  like  a 
thing  of  life,  subserved  the  interests  of  human  life  ; 
watched  with  quiet  reserve  the  faces  and  general  ap- 
pearance of  his  fellow-passengers ;  occasionally  modestly 
addressed  an  acquaintance,  for  some  present  were  known 
to  him  ;  and,  finally  singled  out  from  among  the  stran- 
gers a  man  on  whose  face  he  thought  he  discovered  the 
marks  of  true  courage,  manhood  and  nobility  of  charac- 
ter. The  impression  which  Kit  Carson  had  thus  re- 
ceived was  nothing  fleeting.  The  eagle  eye,  the  fore- 
head, the  form,  the  movements,  the  general  features, 
the  smile,  the  quiet  dignity  of  the  man,  each  and  all 
of  these  attributes  of  his  manhood  had  been  carefully 
noted  by  the  wary  and  hardy  mountaineer,  and  had 
not  failed  to  awaken  in  his  breast  a  feeling  of  admi- 
ration and  respect.  While  on  this  boat  Kit  Carson 
learned  the  fact  that  the  man  whom  he  had  thus  studied 
was  Lieut.  John  C.  Fremont  of  the  U.  S.  corps  of  topo- 
graphical engineers ;  also,  that  Lieutenant  Fremont  had 
been  earnestly  seeking  Captain  Drips,  an  experienced 
mountaineer,  but  that  he  had  been  disappointed  in 
finding  him.  Upon  learning  this,  Kit  Carson  fell 
into  a  deep  reverie  which  lasted  some  little  time,  when, 
having  brought  it  to  a  conclusion,  he  approached  Lieu- 
tenant Fremont  and  modestly  introducing  himself,  said  : 

"  Sir !  I  have  been  some  time  in  the  mountains  and 
think  I  can  guide  you  to  any  point  there  you  wish  to 
reach. " 

Lieutenant  Fremont's  answer  indicated  his  satisfac- 
tion in  making  the  acquaintance  which  Kit  Carson  had 


184     Fremont's  first  exploring  expedition. 

offered  him,  and  that  he  would  make  inquiries  concern- 
ing his  capabilities  of  performing  the  duty  for  which 
he  offered  himself. 

The  inquiries  which  the  then  lieutenant  instituted, 
or,  at  least,  may  be  supposed  to  have  instituted,  must 
have  been  favorable ;  for,  soon  afterwards,  Kit  Carson 
was  engaged  by  Colonel  Fremont  to  act  as  guide  to  his 
first  exploring  expedition,  at  a  salary  of  one  hundred 
dollars  per  month.  Upon  arriving  in  Kansas  the  party 
prepared  for  a  long  and  dangerous  journey  which  lay 
before  them.  The  objects  of  this  expedition  were  to 
survey  the  South  Pass,  and  take  the  altitude  of  the 
highest  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  besides  gather- 
ing all  the  collateral  information  which  they  could. 
The  party  had  been  chiefly  collected  in  St.  Louis.  It 
consisted  of  twenty-two  Creole  and  Canadian  voya- 
geurs  ;  Mr.  Charles  Preuss,  a  native  of  Germany,  whose 
education  rendered  him  a  master  in  the  art  of  topo- 
graphical sketching,  and  towards  whom  Colonel  Fre- 
mont has  always  extended  high  and  just  encomium ; 
Henry  Brant,  a  son  of  Col.  J.  H.  Brant  of  St.  Louis, 
nineteen  years  of  age  ;  young  Randolph  Benton,  a  son 
of  Colonel  Benton,  twelve  years  of  age  ;  Mr.  L.  Max- 
well, a  mountaineer  engaged  as  the  hunter  of  the  party  : 
and  finally,  Kit  Carson,  as  guide,  making,  including 
the  Commander  of  the  Expedition,  twenty-eight  souls. 
On  the  10th  day  of  June,  1842,  the  party  commenced 
their  march.  The  daily  routine  usually  observed  on 
the  march  was  as  follows: 

At  daybreak  the  camp  was  aroused,  the  animals  led 
out  and  turned  loose  to  graze ;  breakfast  about  six 
o'clock,  immediately  after  which  the  line  of  march  was 
resumed ;  at  noon  there  was  a  halt  of  one  or  two  hours; 


LIFE    ON    THE    PRAIRIES.  185 

the  march  was  then  again  resumed  and  kept  up  until 
within  an  hour  or  so  of  sunset,  when  the  order  was 
usually  given  to  encamp ;  the  tents  were  then  pitched, 
horses  hobbled  and  turned  loose  to  graze,  and  the 
cooks  prepared  supper.  At  night  all  the  animals  were 
brought  in  and  picketed,  carts  set  for  defence  and 
guard  mounted. 

The  party  had  only  accomplished  a  few  miles  of  the 
march  when  they  fell  in  with  the  buffalo.  Before  we 
pursue  the  narrative  of  Kit  Carson's  life  we  must  re- 
deem our  promise  and  allow  Colonel  Fremont  to  de- 
scribe his  own  impressions  in  his  first  Buffalo  Hunt,  in 
which  Kit  Carson  and  Mr.  L.  Maxwell  were  his  com- 
panions and  guides.     Colonel  Fremont  says  : 

"A  few  miles  brought  us  into  the  midst  of  the  buf- 
falo, swarming  in  immense  numbers  over  the  plains, 
where  they  had  left  scarcely  a  blade  of  grass  standing. 
Mr.  Preuss,  who  was  sketching  at  a  little  distance  in 
the  rear,  had  at  first  noted  them  as  large  groves  of 
timber.  In  the  sight  of  such  a  mass  of  life,  the  trav- 
eler feels  a  strange  emotion  of  grandeur.  We  had 
heard  from  a  distance  a  dull  and  confused  murmuring, 
and,  when  we  came  in  view  of  their  dark  masses,  there 
was  not  one  among  us  who  did  not  feel  his  heart  beat 
quicker.  It  was  the  early  part  of  the  day,  when  the 
herds  were  feeding ;  and  everywhere  they  were  in  mo- 
tion. Here  and  there  a  huge  old  bull  was  rolling  in 
the  grass,  and  clouds  of  dust  rose  in  the  air  from  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  bands,  each  the  scene  of  some  obstinate 
fight.  Indians  and  buffalo  make  the  poetry  and  life  of 
the  prairie,  and  our  camp  was  full  of  their  exhilaration. 
In  place  of  the  quiet  monotony  of  the  march,  relieved 
only  by  the  cracking  of  the  whip,  and  an  i avance  done! 


186  KIT    CARSON    UNHORSED. 

enfant  de  garce ! '  shouts  and  songs  resounded  from 
every  part  of  the  line,  and  our  evening  camp  was 
always  the  commencement  of  a  feast,  which  termina- 
ted only  with  our  departure  on  the  following  morning. 
At  any  time  of  the  night  might  be  seen  pieces  of  the 
most  delicate  and  choicest  meat,  roasting  en  appolas, 
on  sticks  around  the  fire,  and  the  guard  was  never 
without  company.  With  pleasant  weather  and  no 
enemy  to  fear,  and  abundance  of  the  most  excellent 
meat,  and  no  scarcity  of  bread  or  tobacco,  they  were 
enjoying  the  oasis  of  a  voyageur's  life.  Three  cows 
were  killed  to-day.  Kit  Carson  had  shot  one,  and  was 
continuing  the  chase  in  the  midst  of  another  herd, 
when  his  horse  fell  headlong,  but  sprang  up  and  joined 
the  flying  band.  Though  considerably  hurt,  he  had 
the  good  fortune  to  break  no  bones;  and  Maxwell, 
who  was  mounted  on  a  fleet  hunter,  captured  the  run- 
away after  a  hard  chase.  He  was  on  the  point  of 
shooting  him,  to  avoid  the  loss  of  his  bridle  (a  hand- 
somely mounted  Spanish  one),  when  he  found  that  his 
horse  was  able  to  come  up  with  him.  Animals  are 
frequently  lost  in  this  way ;  and  it  is  necessary  to  keep 
close  watch  over  them,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  buffalo,  in 
the  midst  of  which  they  scour  off  to  the  plains,  and  are 
rarely  taken.  One  of  our  mules  took  a  sudden  freak 
into  his  head,  and  joined  a  neighboring  band  to-day. 
As  we  are  not  in  a  condition  to  lose  horses,  I  sent  sev- 
eral men  in  pursuit,  and  remained  in  camp,  in  the  hope 
of  recovering  him  ;  but  lost  the  afternoon  to  no  pur- 
pose, as  we  did  not  see  him  again. 

"  As  we  were  riding  quietly  along  the  bank,  a  grand 
herd  of  buffalo,  some  seven  or  eight  hundred  in  num- 
ber, came  crowding  up  from  the  river,  where  they  had 


A  BUFFALO  CHASE.  187 

been  to  drink,  and  commenced  crossing  the  plain 
slowly,  eating  as  they  went.  The  wind  was  favorable  ; 
the  coolness  of  the  morning  invited  to  exercise  ;  the 
ground  was  apparently  good,  and  the  distance  across 
the  prairie  (two  or  three  miles)  gave  us  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity to  charge  them  before  they  could  get  among  the 
river  hills.  It  was  too  fine  a  prospect  for  a  chase  to  be 
lost ;  and,  halting  for  a  few  moments,  the  hunters  were 
brought  up  and  saddled,  and  Kit  Carson,  Maxwell  and 
I  started  together.  They  were  now  somewhat  less 
than  half  a  mile  distant,  and  we  rode  easily  along  until 
within  about  three  hundred  yards,  when  a  sudden  agi- 
tation, a  wavering  in  the  band,  and  a  galloping  to  and 
fro  of  some  which  were  scattered  along  the  skirts,  gave 
us  the  intimation  that  we  were  discovered.  We  started 
together  at  a  hand  gallop,  riding  steadily  abreast  of 
each  other,  and  here  the  interest  of  the  chase  became 
so  engrossingly  intense  that  we  were  sensible  to  noth- 
ing else.  We  were  now  closing  upon  them  rapidly, 
and  the  front  of  the  mass  was  already  in  rapid  motion 
for  the  hills,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the  movement  had 
communicated  itself  to  the  whole  herd. 

"A  crowd  of  bulls,  as  usual,  brought  up  the  rear, 
and  every  now  and  then  some  of  them  faced  about, 
and  then  dashed  on  after  the  band  a  short  distance, 
and  turned  and  looked  again,  as  if  more  than  half 
inclined  to  stand  and  fight.  In  a  few  moments,  how- 
ever, during  which  we  had  been  quickening  our  pace, 
the  rout  was  universal,  and  we  were  going  over  the 
ground  like  a  hurricane.  When  at  about  thirty  yards, 
we  gave  the  usual  shout  (the  hunter's  battle  cry)  and 
broke  into  the  herd.  We  entered  on  the  side,  the 
mass  giving  way  in   every  direction  in  their  heedless 


188  DANGEROUS    SPORT. 

course.  Many  of  the  bulls,  less  active  and  less  fleet 
than  the  cows,  paying  no  attention  to  the  ground,  and 
occupied  solely  with  the  hunter,  were  precipitated  to 
the  earth  with  great  force,  rolling  over  and  over  with 
the  violence  of  the  shock,  and  hardly  distinguishable 
in  the  dust.  We  separated  on  entering,  each  singling 
out  his  game. 

"My  horse  was  a  trained  hunter,  famous  in  the  West 
under  the  name  of  Proveau,  and,  with  his  eyes  flashing, 
and  the  foam  flying  from  his  mouth,  sprang  on  after 
the  cow  like  a  tiger.  In  a  few  moments  he  brought 
me  alongside  of  her,  and,  rising  in  the  stirrups,  I  fired 
at  the  distance  of  a  yard,  the  ball  entering  at  the  ter- 
mination of  the  long  hair,  and  passing  near  the  heart. 
She  fell  headlong  at  the  report  of  the  gun,  and  check- 
ing my  horse,  I  looked  around  for  my  companions.  At 
a  little  distance,  Kit  wras  on  the  ground,  engaged  in 
tying  his  horse  to  the  horns  of  a  cow  which  he  was 
preparing  to  cut  up.  Among  the  scattered  bands,  at 
some  distance  below,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Maxwell; 
and  while  I  was  looking,  a  light  wreath  of  white  smoke 
curled  away  from  his  gun,  from  which  I  was  too  far  to 
hear  the  report.  Nearer,  and  between  me  and  the  hills, 
towards  which  they  were  directing  their  course,  was  the 
body  of  the  herd,  and  giving  my  horse  the  rein,  we 
dashed  after  them.  A  thick  cloud  of  dust  hung  upon 
their  rear,  which  filled  my  mouth  and  eyes,  and  nearly 
smothered  me.  In  the  midst  of  this  I  could  see  noth- 
ing, and  the  buffalo  were  not  distinguishable  until 
within  thirty  feet.  They  crowded  together  more 
densely  still  as  I  came  upon  them,  and  rushed  along  in 
such  a  compact  body,  that  I  could  not  obtain  an  en- 
trance— the  horse  almost  leaping  upon  them.     In  a  few 


A   PRAIRIE-DOG   VILLAGE.  189 

moments  the  mass  divided  to  the  right  and  left,  the 
horns  clattering  with  a  noise  heard  above  everything 
else,  and  my  horse  darted  into  the  opening.  Five  or 
six  bulls  charged  on  us  as  we  clashed  along  the  line, 
but  were  left  far  behind,  and  singling  out  a  cow,  I  gave 
her  my  fire,  but  struck  too  high.  She  gave  a  tremen- 
dous leap,  and  scoured  on  swifter  than  before.  I  reined 
up  my  horse,  and  the  band  swept  on  like  a  torrent,  and 
left  the  place  quiet  and  clear.  Our  chase  had  led  us 
into  dangerous  ground.  A  prairie-dog  village,  so 
thickly  settled  that  there  were  three  or  four  holes  in 
every  twenty  yards  square,  occupied  the  whole  bottom 
for  nearly  two  miles  in  length.  Looking  around,  I  saw 
one  of  the  hunters,  nearly  out  of  sight,  and  the  long 
dark  line  of  our  caravan  crawling  along,  three  or  four 
miles  distant." 

The  trail  which  the  party  left  behind  them  after- 
wards formed  the  emigrant  road  to  California  via  Fort 
Laramie,  Salt  Lake,  etc.  On  reaching  Fort  Laramie, 
Fremont  found  a  fearful  state  of  affairs  existing  among 
the  Sioux  Indians,  through  whose  country  his  route 
lay.  An  encounter  had  recently  taken  place  between 
a  war-party  belonging  to  the  Sioux  nation  and  a  party 
of  trappers  and  Snake  Indians.  In  the  fight  the  In- 
dians had  been  worsted  and  several  of  their  braves 
killed.  To  revenge  themselves  the  Sioux  chieftains 
had  collected  their  warriors ;  and,  while  the  nation  was 
encamped  to  the  number  of  one  thousand  lodges,  they 
had  gone  forth  to  seek  and  punish  their  enemies. 

At  Fort  Laramie  the  exploring  party  met  several 
trappers  and  friendly  Indians  who  used  their  utmost 
endeavors  to  dissuade  Colonel  Fremont  from  venturing 
into  such  inevitable  danger.     There  was  but  one  opin- 


190  KEADY    AND    WILLING    TO    FACE    DANGER. 

ion  expressed,  viz. :  that,  as  sure  as  he  entered  upon 
the  journey,  the  entire  party  would  be  massacred.  To 
all  these  admonitions  and  warnings  Colonel  Fremont 
had  but  one  reply.  His  government  had  directed  him 
to  perform  a  certain  duty.  The  obstacles  which  stood 
in  his  way,  it  was  his  duty  to  use  every  means  at  his 
command  to  surmount ;  therefore,  in  obedience  to  his 
instructions,  he  was  determined  to  continue  his  march. 
Finally  he  said  that  he  would  accomplish  the  object  or 
die  in  the  attempt,  being  quite  sure  that  if  the  expedi- 
tion failed  by  being  cut  to  pieces,  a  terrible  retribution 
would  be  in  store  for  the  perpetrators  of  the  act.  Kit 
Carson,  his  guide,  openly  avowed  that  the  future  looked 
dark  and  gloomy,  but  he  was  delighted  to  hear  this 
expression  from  his  commander.  He  now  felt  that  he 
had  a  man  after  his  own  heart  to  depend  on,  and  should 
danger  or  inevitable  death  be  in  store  for  them,  he  was 
ready  and  willing  to  face  either  with  him.  In  order  to 
be  prepared  for  the  worst,  Kit  Carson  felt  it  his  duty, 
considering  the  dangers  apprehended,  to  make  his  will, 
thereby  showing  that  if  he  had  to  fight  he  was  ready 
to  count  it  his  last  battle.  Colonel  Fremont  resumed 
his  journey,  and  very  fortunately  arrived  at  the  South 
Pass  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  without,  in  any  way,  be- 
ing annoyed  with  Indians,  not  even  meeting  any  on 
the  route. 

He  had  now  reached  the  field  wmere  his  chief  labors 
were  to  commence.  Without  loss  of  time  he  set  ear- 
nestly about  his  work,  making  and  recording  such  ob- 
servations as  he  deemed  to  be  essential,  and  examining 
and-  exploring  the  country.  Having  finished  this  part 
of  his  labors,  the  ascent  of  the  highest  peak  of  the 
mountains  was  commenced.     The  length  of  the  journey 


CLIMBING   MOUNTAINS.  191 

had  jaded  the  animals.  It  was  very  difficult  to  procure 
game.  The  men  had  undergone  such  severe  hardships 
that  their  spirits  had  become  almost  worn  out.  The 
daily  fare  now  was  dried  buffalo  meat.  This  was  about 
the  consistency  of  a  pine  stick ;  and,  in  taste,  resembled 
a  piece  of  dried  bark.  Besides  these  rather  uncomfort- 
able prospects,  the  expedition  stood  in  constant  fear  of 
an  attack  by  the  Indians.  It  was  now  in  the  country 
of  the  Blackfeet ;  and,  only  a  short  distance  from  the 
encampment,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  there  was 
one  of  their  forts.  In  the  face  of  all  these  obstacles, 
sufficiently  formidable  to  have  deterred  most  com- 
manders, the  mountain  party  was  detailed,  being  four- 
teen in  number,  including  Fremont.  A  man  named 
Bernier  was  left  in  command  of  the  camp  which  had 
been  made  by  felling  forest  trees  in  a  space  about  forty 
feet  in  diameter,  using  the  trunks  to  form  a  breastwork. 
The  camp  was  thus  concealed  by  the  trees  and  their 
foliage.  It  was  well  calculated  for  defence,  and  a  few 
determined  men  could  have  maintained  it  against 
almost  any  Indian  force. 

On  the  12th  day  of  August  the  mountain  party  left 
the  camp.  It  was  fifteen  in  number.  On  the  14th  of 
August  some  of  the  party  reached  an  elevation  at 
which  the  barometer  stood  19.401.  On  the  15th  some 
of  the  party  were  sent  back.  Kit  Carson  had  com- 
mand of  this  party.  The  remainder  consisted  of  Col- 
onel Fremont,  Mr.  Preuss,  Basil  Lajeunesse,  Clement 
Lambert,  Janesse  and  Descoteaux.  The  day  previous 
Kit  Carson  had  alone  climbed  one  of  the  highest  peaks 
of  the  main  ridge,  from  which  he  had  a  full  view  of 
the  highest  peak,  which  rose  about  eight  or  ten  hun- 
dred feet  above  him.     The  arduous  labors  of  the  14th 


192  A    PERILOUS    JOURNEY. 

August  had  determined  the  commander  to  ascend  no 
higher.  Instead  of  carrying  out  this  intention,  after 
Kit  Carson  with  his  party  had  set  out,  Fremont  made 
one  more  effort  to  climb  the  highest  peak,  and  suc- 
ceeded. 

This  peak  was  found,  by  barometrical  observation, 
to  be  thirteen  thousand  Jive  hundred  and  seventy  feet 
above  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  bears  the 
name  of  the  Great  Explorer,  being  called  Fremont's 
Peak. 

The  terrible  suffering,  privation  and  discouragements 
to  which  this  brave  band  were  subjected,  would  have 
disheartened  most  men,  but  to  Fremont  there  was  no 
such  word  as  fail.  The  attempt  to  visit  Goat  Island, 
by  which  he  very  nearly  lost  many  of  the  most  im- 
portant results  of  the  expedition,  is  but  a  fair  sample 
of  hardships  which  they  were  forced  to  endure.  In 
an  open  linen  boat,  these  hardy  adventurers  run  the 
rapids  of  the  La  Platte  through  three  successive  cata- 
racts, and  between  perpendicular  rocks  of  great  hight, 
which  frequently  approached  each  other  so  closely 
overhead,  as  to  form  a  kind  of  tunnel  over  the  stream, 
which  foamed  along  at  a  fearful  rate,  half  choked  up 
with  fallen  fragments.  At  one  of  these  rapids  the  boat 
was  overturned,  and  it  required  all  their  strength  and 
skill  to  prevent  its  being  staved  to  pieces  on  the  sharp 
rock.  It  was  a  fearful  passage,  and  one  which  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  those  whose  fortune  it  was  to 
be  connected  with  that  expedition.* 

The  return  trip  was  now  commenced,  all  of  the  ob- 
jects of  the  expedition  having  been  successfully  ac- 
complished.    The  party  again  reached  Fort  Laramie  in 

*  See  Bigelow's  Life  of  Fremont. 


>V-     ^  ,     .wP 


;  ■■■'.•, 


A  PERILOUS  PASSAGE  DOWN  THE  PLATTE. 


carson's  second  marriage.  195 

the  month  of  September,  1842.  Kit  Carson  had  served 
in  the  double  capacity  as  a  hunter  and  guide.  It  is 
sufficient  to  say  of  the  manner  in  which  he  performed 
his  duties,  that  he  won  the  friendship  of  John  C.  Fre- 
mont, and  ever  after  occupied  a  prominent  and  perma- 
nent place  in  his  esteem.  At  Laramie,  Kit  Carson's 
labors  were  done.  There  he  bid  his  commander  good- 
by,  and  set  out  for  New  Mexico.  Fremont  returned 
to  the  United  States  in  safety.  Thus  terminated  the 
first  of  his  great  explorations. 

Kit  Carson's  Indian  wife  had  long  since  been  dead. 
In  the  month  of  February,  1843,  he  married  a  Mexican 
lady  by  the  name  of  Senora  Josepha  Jarimilla.  Of 
this  lady  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  for  her  many  vir- 
tues and  personal  beauty  she  was  justly  esteemed  by 
a  large  circle  of  friends.  By  this  wife  Kit  Carson  had 
three  children,  to  whom  he  was  devotedly  attached. 

In  the  following  April,  Kit  Carson  was  employed  as 
hunter  to  accompany  Bent  and  St.  Vrain's  train  of 
wagons,  while  on  their  journey  to  the  United  States. 
On  arriving  at  Walnut  Creek,  which  is  about  two-thirds 
of  the  distance  across  the  Plains  from  Santa  Fe,  Kit 
and  his  companions  came  upon  the  encampment  of 
Captain  Cook,  belonging  to  the  United  States  Army — 
who  was  in  command  of  four  companies  of  United 
States  Dragoons.  Captain  Cook  informed  Carson's 
party  that  in  his  rear  was  traveling  a  train  of  wagons 
belonging  to  General  Armijo,  a  wealthy  Mexican. 

For  the  purpose  of  insuring  protection  to  this  richly- 
freighted  caravan  while  passing  through  an  Indian 
country,  the  Mexican  wragon-master  in  charge  had  hired 
one  hundred  men.  There  were  rumors,  currently  re- 
ported at  that  time  and  believed,  that  a  large  body  of 


196  MEXICANS    IN    TROUBLE. 

Texans  were  waiting  on  the  road  to  plunder  and  mur- 
der this  wagon  party,  and  thus  retaliate  the  treatment 
Armijo  had  been  guilty  of  in  the  case  of  the  "  famous 
Muir  Prisoners;"  but,  in  order  that  this  should  not  hap- 
pen in  Territory  belonging  to  the  United  States,  the 
War  Department  had  ordered  Captain  Cook  and  the 
dragoons  to  guard  the  property  as  far  as  the  fording 
of  the  Arkansas  River,  which  was  then  the  boundary 
line  between  the  two  countries.  The  Mexicans  had 
become  alarmed  for  fear  they  might  be  attacked  on 
parting  with  the  United  States  soldiers;  so,  on  meeting 
with  Kit  Carson,  who  was  well  known  to  them,  they 
offered  three  hundred  dollars  if  he  would  carry  a  letter 
to  Armijo,  who  was  then  Governor  of  New  Mexico,  and 
lived  at  Santa  Fe.  This  letter  apprised  the  General 
of  the  danger  to  which  his  men  and  property  were  ex- 
posed, and  asked  for  assistance  to  be  immediately  sent 
to  them.  Carson  accepted  the  offer,  and  in  company 
with  Owens,  another  mountaineer,  he  set  out  on  his 
express  ride.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days  he  reached 
Bent's  Fort,  where  his  companion  concluded  not  to  go 
on  with  him.  At  the  Fort,  Kit  Carson  was  informed 
that  the  Utah  Indians,  then  hostile,  were  scattered 
along  his  intended  route.  He  was  not,  however,  turned 
from  his  duty  by  this  danger,  but  he  resumed  his  jour- 
ney immediately.  At  this  last-named  place  his  friend, 
Mr.  Bent,  kindly  furnished  him  with  a  fleet  and  mag- 
nificent horse,  which  he  led,  so  that,  should  he  find 
himself  in  peril,  he  might  mount  this  fresh  animal  and 
make  his  escape. 

By  watching  for  signs  and  being  continually  on  the 
alert,  Kit  Carson  discovered  the  Indians  and  their  vil- 
lage without  exposing  his  own  person  to  view.     He  ini- 


FEARFUL    MASSACRE    BY    TEXANS.  197 

mediately  secreted  himself  in  an  out-of-the-way-place 
and  remained  until  the  coming  on  of  darkness ;  when 
he  passed  safety  by  the  camp  of  the  savages.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  days  he  reached  Taos  and  handed  his 
dispatch  to  the  Alcalde  of  the  town  to  be  forwarded  to 
Santa  Fe.  As  had  been  previously  agreed  upon,  he 
waited  here  for  an  answer  with  which  he  was  to  return. 
At  Taos,  Carson  was  informed  that  Armijo  had  already 
sent  out  one  hundred  Mexican  soldiers  to  seek  his  cara- 
van, and  that  the  General  himself,  in  command  of  six 
hundred  more,  was  soon  to  follow  after.  It  was  after- 
wards learned  that  this  unfortunate  band  of  one  hun- 
dred men  went  as  far  as  the  Arkansas  River,  but  could 
not  find  any  traces  of  the  train  of  wagons,  it  not  hav- 
ing completed  that  much  of  its  journey ;  therefore, 
they  commenced  to  retrace  their  steps,  but  had  pro- 
ceeded only  a  few  miles,  when  they  were  suddenly 
attacked  by  the  Texans,  who  succeeded  in  massacring 
all  but  one  man.  This  survivor  had  succeeded  in 
catching,  in  the  heat  of  the  battle,  a  fully  equipped 
Texan  horse  which  was  loose.  Mounting  him  he  made 
off  in  the  direction  of  Santa  Fe  ;  and,  at  Cold  Springs 
came  upon  the  camp  of  Armijo,  to  whom  he  reported 
proceedings.  The  narration  of  this  sad  story  so  damp- 
ened the  courage  of  the  General  and  his  men  as  to 
cause  them  to  make  a  precipitous  retreat.  The  spot 
where  this  slaughter  took  place  has  since  gone  by  the 
name  of  "  battle  ground,"  and  many  are  the  bleached 
human  bones  that  are  still  to  be  found  there. 

It  was  during  Carson's  stay  for  four  days  in  Taos, 
that  Armijo  and  his  small  army  had  started  out  in 
quest  of  the  enemy ;  but,  before  his  departure,  he  had 
received  the   letter  and  directed  an  answer  to  be  sent, 


198  A   NOBLE    ACT. 

thinking,  perhaps,  that  Kit  Carson  might  reach  the 
train,  even  if  he  himself  did  not  On  the  answer  com- 
ing into  Carson's  hands,  he  selected  a  Mexican  boy  to  ac- 
company him  and  was  quickly  on  the  road  again.  They 
had  left  Taos  two  days'  journey  behind  them,  and  had 
reached  the  River  Trinchera  (for  they  were  traveling 
via  the  Sangero  de  Christo  Pass  and  Bent's  Fort)  when 
they  unexpectedly  met  four  Indian  warriors.  Kit  Car- 
son immediately  recognized  them  as  hostile  Utahs. 
As  yet  the  red  men  were  some  distance  off;  and,  while 
Kit  and  his  companion  stood  meditating  what  was  best 
to  be  done,  the  latter  spoke  and  said  to  the  former : 
"  I  am  a  boy  and  perhaps  the  Indians  will  spare  my 
life.  At  any  rate  yours  is  much  more  valuable  than 
mine,  therefore  mount  the  horse  you  are  leading, 
without  delay,  and  make  your  escape."  Carson  at 
first  thought  this  advice  to  be  good,  and  was  about  act- 
ing on  it,  when  it  struck  his  equally  generous  heart, 
how  cowardly  such  a  course  would  be — to  desert  a 
youth  who  had  in  the  hour  of  peril  so  manfully  borne 
himself.  Turning  to  the  boy  he  thanked  him  and 
added  that  "he  could  not  and  would  not  desert  him." 
He  said  "  we  must  stand  our  ground  together,  and  if 
we  have  to  die,  let  us  take  with  us  each  his  warrior." 
While  this  colloquy  was  going  on,  the  foremost  of  the 
Indians  came  up.  He  approached  Carson  with  the  air 
of  a  man  sure  of  an  easy  victory,  and,  with  a  bland 
smile,  proffered  one  hand  in  friendship,  while,  with  the 
other,  he  grasped  Kit's  rifle.  A  powerful  blow  from 
the  fist  of  the  latter  released  his  hold  and  instantly 
laid  him  sprawling  upon  the  ground.  The  other  In- 
dians, seeing  the  fate  of  their  companion,  hastened  to 
his  rescue.     When  they  reached  talking  distance,  Kit, 


ARMIJO  S    CARAVAN    SAFE.  199 

standing  with  his  rifle  brought  to  his  shoulder,  informed 
them  that,  upon  the  first  hostile  demonstration  they 
made,  he  and  his  companion  would  fire.  The  Indians 
commenced  shaking  their  priming  into  the  pans  of 
their  flint  lock  guns,  and,  while  doing  so,  talked  loud 
and  threatened  to  perform  a  great  many  things.  This 
was  a  mere  ruse  to  intimidate  Kit  and  his  companion 
and  throw  them  off  their  guard.  It  was,  however,  well 
understood,  and  operated  to  make  them  only  the  more 
vigilant.  This  endeavor  to  draw  off  Kit's  attention 
was  continued  in  various  ways,  but,  finally  seeing  the 
determined  posture  of  their  opponent,  they  grew  weary 
of  the  game,  and,  at  last  departed. 

The  journey  was  now  resumed.  After  five  days  of 
hard  traveling,  Kit  and  his  companion  entered  Bent's 
Fort,  without  further  molestation.  Here  Kit  Carson 
learned  that  the  Texans  had  been  caught  by  Captain 
Cook  and  his  dragoons  in  United  States  Territory,  and 
had  been  disarmed.  This  had  immediately  relieved 
the  conductors  of  the  train  from  all  anxiety.  They 
had,  consequently,  continued  their  route,  not  thinking 
a  stop  at  Bent's  Fort  necessary  as  had  been  anticipated. 
General  Armijo's  letter  of  instruction  was,  accordingly, 
left  by  Carson  with  Mr.  Bent,  who  promised  to  forward 
it  to  Santa  F6  by  the  first  favorable  opportunity.  To 
pursue  and  overtake  the  wagons  would  be  nothing  but 
labor  thrown  away.     All  danger  had  disappeared. 


200  CARSON    VISITS    FREMONT'S    CAMP. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Kit  Carson  visits  Fremont's  Camp — Goes  on  the  Second  Exploring  Ex- 
pedition— The  Necessary  Arrangements — Trip  to  Salt  Lake — Explo- 
rations there — Carson  is  dispatched  to  Fort  Hall  for  Supplies — Their 
Operations  at  Salt  Lake — The  Great  Island — The  Journey  to  the 
Columbia  River  in  Oregon — Incidents  on  the  Route — Klamath  Lake 
— The  Journey  to  California — The  Trials  and  Privations  met  with 
while  crossing  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains — Mr.  Preuss  is  lost  but 
finds  the  Party  again — Arrival  at  Sutter's  Fort  in  a  Destitute  Condi- 
tion— Two  of  the  Party  become  deranged — The  Route  on  the  Return 
Trip — Mexicans  come  into  their  Camp  asking  Aid  and  Protection — 
Indian  Depredations — Carson  and  Godey  start  on  a  Daring  Adven- 
ture— The  Pursuit — The  Thieves  overtaken — These  Two  White  Men 
attack  Thirty  Indians — The  Victory — Horses  retaken — The  Return 
to  Camp — One  of  their  Companions  killed — The  Journey  continued — 
Arrival  at  Bent's  Fort — The  "  Fourth  of  July"  Dinner. 

A  few  days  before  Kit  Carson's  arrival  at  Bent's  Fort, 
Colonel  Fremont  had  passed  by  and  had  informed  the 
traders  there,  that  he  was  bound  on  another  Explor- 
ing Expedition.  Having  finished  up  his  business  with 
the  Mexicans,  Kit  thought  he  would  like  to  see  his 
old  commander  once  again.  Accordingly,  he  started 
on  his  trail ;  and,  after  seventy  miles  of  travel,  came 
up  with  him.  The  meeting  proved  to  be  mutually 
agreeable.  Although  Kit  Carson  had  made  this  visit 
solely  from  his  desire  to  again  see  his  old  commander, 
and  not  with  a  view  of  joining  his  second  expedition, 
Colonel  Fremont  insisted  so  strongly  upon  having  Kit 
accompany  him,  that  he  acquiesced  in  doing  so. 


ENROLLED  FOR  SECOND  EXPEDITION.      201 

For  Colonel  Fremont,  Kit  Carson  had  the  greatest 
admiration.  He  knew,  as  well  as  any  man  living,  his 
bravery,  his  talents  and  the  many  splendid  qualities  of 
his  mind  and  heart.  The  question  will  naturally  arise, did 
Kit  Carson  endorse  the  political  creed  upon  which  Colo- 
nel Fremont  accepted  the  nomination  for  the  Presidency 
of  the  United  States  ?  The  best  answer,  and  the  one 
which  is  true,  will  be  :  Kit  Carson  considered  it  one  of 
the  highest  honors  and  greatest 'blessings  to  be  a  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States.  He  was  willing  to  incur  any 
danger  for  his  country's  good,  even  if  the  sacrifice  of 
his  life  was  the  alternative.  He  spent  all  his  life  in 
the  wilds  of  America,  where  news  was  always  as  scarce 
an  article,  as  luxuries  of  the  table  and  fireside,  and 
where  the  political  strifes  of  factions  and  parties  wTere 
not  known.  The  inference  will  therefore  be  plainly 
apparent,  that  his  curiosity  did  not  lead  him  to  exam- 
ine very  attentively  the  minute  workings  of  political 
machinery.  He  was  not  a  man  to  be  swayed  by  friend- 
ship, from  performing  any  act  which  the  interests  of  his 
country  seemed  to  require  at  his  hands. 

Soon  after  Kit  Carson  was  again  enrolled  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Fremont,  he  received  orders  to  re- 
turn to  Bent's  Fort  and  purchase  some  mules  of  which 
the  party  stood  in  need.  Mules  are  valuable  animals  in 
new  and  mountainous  countries.  They  are  often  the 
only  beast  of  burden  which  can  be  successfully  used  in 
crossing  the  wild  mountains.  Being  more  sure-footed 
and  more  able  to  endure  great  fatigue  than  the  horse, 
in  such  expeditions  they  become  absolutely  necessary. 
While  he  was  absent  on  this  duty,  the  expedition  jour- 
neyed first  to  Soda  Springs,  and  thence  on  to  St.  Train's 

Fort,  which  was  located  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte. 
12 


202  ORDERED    TO    FORT    HALL. 

At  this  point  the  expedition  was  joined  by  Major  Fitz- 
patrick,  with  a  command  of  forty  men  which  he  had 
enrolled,  under  orders,  to  assist  in  the  exploration. 
When  Kit  Carson  had  rejoined  the  party,  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  arduous  task  in  view  were  nearly 
complete. 

Colonel  Fremont  divided  his  forces,  sending  one 
division,  with  most  of  the  camp  equipage,  on  the  more 
direct  route.  This  division  was  placed  under  the  com- 
mand of  Major  Fitzpatrick.  The  other  division,  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Fremont,  consisting  of  a  squad 
of  fifteen  men  and  his  guide  Kit  Carson,  struck  out  up 
Thompson's  Fork.  The  object  of  this  expedition  had 
in  view  by  the  government  was,  to  have  Colonel  Fre- 
mont connect  his  explorations  of  the  preceding  year 
with  the  coast  surveys  of  Commander  Wilkes  on  the 
Pacific.  This  would  give  the  data  for  making  a  correct 
map  of  the  interior  of  the  wild  lands  of  the  continent. 
From  Thompson's  Fork  Colonel  Fremont's  division 
marched  to  the  Cache  la  Poudre  River,  and  thence  to 
the  plains  of  Laramie  until  they  came  to  the  North 
Fork  of  the  Platte.  This  river  they  crossed  below  the 
North  Park,  and  bent  their  way  to  the  sweet  water, 
reaching  it  at  a  point  about  fifteen  miles  below  the 
Devil's  Gate.  From  this  point  they  traveled  almost 
the  same  road  which  is  now  used  by  emigrants  and 
which  leads  to  Soda  Springs  on  Beaver  River.  It  had 
been  decided  by  Fremont  to  go  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake 
and  accomplish  its  exploration.  He  therefore  started 
for  that  direction  ;  but,  before  doing  so,  ordered  Kit 
Carson  to  proceed  to  Fort  Hall  and  obtain  such  sup- 
plies as  were  required.  After  procuring  these  necessi- 
ties,  Kit  Carson,    with   one   companion  and  his  pack 


EXPLORING    SALT    LAKE.  203 

animals,  set  out  on  the  return  from  Fort  Hall  and 
eventually  found  Fremont  on  the  upper  end  of  Salt 
Lake.  From  here  the  party  journeyed  around  to  the 
east  side  of  the  lake,  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles. 
At  this  spot  they  obtained  a  good  view  of  the  lake 
and  its  adjacent  scenery.  Before  him,  and  in  bold 
relief,  stood  out  everything  which  the  explorer  desired 
to  examine,  even  to  one  of  the  several  islands  which 
are  located  in  the  midst  of  this  wonderful  collection  of 
saline  waters.  To  this  isolated  land  Fremont  was 
resolved  to  go.  Among  the  rest  of  the  forethought 
supplies,  there  was  an  India-rubber  boat.  This  was 
ordered  to  be  made  ready  for  a  trip  to  the  island  early 
the  following  day. 

The  next  morning,  after  the  India-rubber  boat  had 
been  put  in  order,  Colonel  Fremont  started,  taking 
Carson  and  three  others  as  companions.  The  dis- 
tance from  the  main  land  to  the  island  is  computed 
to  be  about  three  leagues,  hence  the  pull  at  the  oars, 
for  landsmen  unaccustomed  to  such  kind  of  work, 
was  no  small  task.  However  a  landing  upon  the 
island  was  safely  accomplished,  the  boat  made  fast 
and  the  investigations  commenced.  After  examin- 
ing most  of  the  island  without  finding  even  a  spring 
of  water  on  it,  it  was  determined  to  ascend  the  great 
hill  which  was  the  highest  elevation  on  it.  The  party 
were  not  long  in  reaching  the  summit,  where  they 
found  a  shelving  rock,  on  which  they  cut  a  cross,  their 
names  and  the  date  as  signs  to  after  visitors,  should 
any  such  follow  in  their  footsteps,  that  they  had  been 
the  first  persons  who  had  ever,  within  the  knowledge 
of  man,  been  on  that  island. 

The  day  having  been  far  spent  in  their  labors,  orders 


204  REACH  KLAMATH  LAKE. 

were  given  to  camp  on  the  island  for  the  night.  On 
the  morrow  they  departed  for  the  main  land.  When 
they  had  accomplished  about  one  league,  being  one- 
third  of  the  distance,  the  clouds  suddenly  gathered 
and  threatened  a  storm.  Just  as  this  danger  impended, 
the  air  which  acted  in  giving  buoyancy  to  the  boat,  by 
some  accident,  began  to  escape.  A  man  was  immedi- 
ately stationed  at  the  bellows  and  it  required  his  con- 
stant aid  to  supply  the  portion  which  steadily  escaped. 
Colonel  Fremont  then  ordered  the  men  to  pull  for 
their  lives  and  try  thus  to  escape  the  danger  of  the 
impending  storm.  In  this  instance,  as  indeed  in  every 
hour  of  peril,  an  all-seeing  Providence  guided  them 
in  safety  to  the  shore.  Soon  after  they  arrived,  the 
storm  came  on  with  such  force  that  it  caused  the  water 
of  the  lake,  according  to  the  natural  water-mark,  to  rise 
ten  feet  in  one  hour. 

The  party  soon  after  recommenced  their  march  and 
proceeded  some  distance  up  the  Bear  River.  Crossing 
it,  they  went  to  the  Malade  and  thence  on  until  they 
reached  Fort  Hall.  Here  they  met  with  the  division 
under  Fitzpatrick  and  made  a  short  stay. 

Once  more  Colonel  Fremont  started  with  his  small 
party  in  advance  of  his  main  body.  He  marched  about 
eight  days'  journey  ahead,  Fitzpatrick  following  up  his 
trail  with  the  larger  division.  At  this  time  the  expe- 
dition was  journeying  in  the  direction  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  River.  In  due  time  they  arrived 
safely  at  the  river  Dalles.  Here  they  made  another 
brief  halt.  Colonel  Fremont  left  Kit  Carson  in  com- 
mand of  this  camp,  while  he,  with  a  small  party,  pro- 
ceeded to  Vancouver's  Island  and  purchased  some  pro- 
visions.    On  his  return  he  found  that  the  whole  party 


ENCOUNTER    TERRIBLE    SNOW-STORMS.  20? 

had  become  consolidated.  The  command  now  jour- 
neyed to  Klamath  Lake,  in  Oregon,  a  fine  sheet  of 
water,  thirty  miles  long  and  twelve  wide,  bordered 
by  timbered  ridges,  with  an  occasional  belt  of  tule. 
Excellent  bunch-grass,  with  bushes  and  small  trees, 
abound  in  the  vicinity.  The  descriptions  of  all  these 
journeys  have  already  been  given  to  the  public  in  sev- 
eral forms,  all,  however,  based  upon  Colonel  Fremont's 
reports  made  to  the  United  States  Government.  It 
would  be  superfluous,  therefore,  for  us  to  fill  up  the 
pages  of  the  life  of  Kit  Carson  with  matter  already 
published  beyond  the  occurrences  appertaining  to  him. 
Having  finished  the  observations  upon  Klamath  Lake, 
the  expedition  started  for  California.  The  route  led 
through  a  barren  and  desolate  country,  rendering  game 
scarce.  As  the  command  drew  near  to  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada Mountains,  they  were  found  to  be  entirely  cov- 
ered with  deep  snow  throughout  the  entire  range  of 
vision.  At  this  time  the  provisions  had  commenced 
giving  out.  Game  was  so  scarce  that  it  could  not  be 
depended  on.  The  propositions  which  presented  them- 
selves at  this  crisis  were  to  cross  the  mountains  or  take 
the  fearful  chance  of  starving  to  death.  Crossing  the 
mountains,  terrible  though  the  alternative,  was  the 
choice  of  all.  It  was  better  than  inactivity  and  cer- 
tain death.  On  arriving  at  the  mountains  the  snow 
was  found  to  be  about  six  feet  deep  on  a  level. 
The  first  task  was  to  manufacture  snow-shoes  for  the 
entire  party.  By  the  aid  of  these  foot  appendages,  an 
advance  party  was  sent  on  to  explore  the  route  and  to 
determine  how  far  a  path  would  have  to  be  broken  for 
the  animals.  This  party  reached  a  spot  from  whence 
they  could  see  their  way  clear,  and  found  that  the  path 


208  FEARFUL    SUFFERING. 

for  the  animals  would  be  three  leagues  in  length.  The 
advance  party  also  saw,  in  the  distance,  the  green  valley 
of  the  Sacramento  and  the  coast- range  of  mountains. 
Kit  Carson  was  the  first  man  to  recognize  these,  to 
the  snow-bound  travelers  desirable  localities,  although 
it  was  now  seventeen  years  since  he  had  last  gazed  upon 
them.  The  advance  party  then  returned  to  their  friends 
in  the  rear,  and  reported  their  proceedings.  All  were 
delighted  on  learning  that  they  had  one  man  among 
them  who  knew  where  they  were.  The  business  of 
making  the  road  was  very  laborious.  The  snow  had 
to  be  beaten  compact  with  mallets.  It  was  fifteen  days 
before  the  party  succeeded  in  reaching,  with  a  few  of 
their  animals,  a  place  where  the  heavy  work  of  the 
route  was  ended.  During  this  time,  many  of  their 
mules  had  starved  to  death,  and  the  few  remaining 
were  driven  to  such  an  extreme  by  want  of  food,  that 
they  devoured  one  another's  tails,  the  leather  on  the 
pack  saddles,  and,  in  fact,  they  would  try  to  eat  every- 
thing they  could  get  into  their  mouths.  The  suffer- 
ing of  the  men  had  been  as  severe  as  had  ever  fallen 
to  the  lot  of  any  mountaineer  present.  Their  provis- 
ions were  all  used  and  they  were  driven  to  subsist  upon 
the  mules  as  they  died  from  hunger.  But  commander 
and  all  bore  these  terrible  trials  in  an  exemplary 
manner. 

An  incident  is  related  by  Colonel  Fremont  in  which 
Kit  Carson  enjoyed  a  cold  bath,  which  occurred  during 
this  terrible  march  :  "  This  was  our  most  difficult  day. 
We  were  forced  off  the  ridges  by  the  quantity  of  snow 
among  the  timber,  and  obliged  to  take  to  the  mountain- 
sides, where,  occasionally,  rocks  and  a  southern  expos- 
ure afforded  us  a  chance  to  scramble  along.     But  these 


FREMONT    AND    CARSON    TAKE    AN   ICY    BATH.      209 

were  steep  and  slippery  with  snow  and  ice  ;  and  the 
tough  evergreens  of  the  mountain  impeded  our  way, 
tore  our  skins  and  exhausted  our  patience.  Some  of 
us  had  the  misfortune  to  wear  moccasins  with,  jxzrjleche 
soles,  so  slippery  that  we  could  not  keep  our  feet,  and 
generally  crawled  across  the  snow  beds.  Axes  and 
mauls  were  necessary  to-day,  to  make  a  road  through 
the  snow.  Going;  ahead  with  Carson  to  reconnoitre  the 
road,  we  reached  in  the  afternoon  the  river  which  made 
the  outlet  of  the  lake.  Carson  sprang  over,  clear  across 
a  place  where  the  stream  was  compressed  among  the 
rocks,  but  the  parfleche  sole  of  my  moccasins  glanced 
from  the  icy  rock  and  precipitated  me  into  the  river. 
It  was  some  few  seconds  before  I  could  recover  myself 
in  the  current,  and  Carson  thinking  me  hurt  jumped  in 
after  me,  and  we  both  had  an  icy  bath.  We  tried  to 
search  awhile  for  my  gun,  which  had  been  lost  in  the 
fall,  but  the  cold  drove  us  out,  and  making  a  large  fire 
on  the  bank,  after  we  had  partially  dried  ourselves,  we 
went  back  to  meet  the  camp.  We  afterwards  found 
that  the  gun  had  been  slung  under  the  ice  which  lined 
the  banks  of  the  creek." 

It  was  while  undergoing  such  experience  as  we  have 
endeavored  to  narrate  that  the  characters  of  men  show 
forth  in  their  true  light  and  can  be  fully  analyzed. 
John  C.  Fremont  never  was  found  wanting  in  times 
such  as  tried  men's  hearts.  He  was  worthy  of  the 
trust  reposed  in  him.  His  was  no  ordinary  command. 
The  men  he  had  to  deal  with,  in  their  line,  had  no  su- 
periors on  the  American  Continent ;  yet,  he  proved  a 
match  for  any  one  of  them,  and  gained  from  them  the 
name  of  being  a  good  mountaineer,  an  encomium  they 
are  not  prone  to  bestow  lightly. 


210  SCENE    OF    THE    FIEST    GOLD-MINE. 

The  party  now  commenced  descending  the  moun- 
tains. On  reaching  the  valley  beneath,  Fremont,  tak- 
ing Kit  Carson  and  six  of  the  men,  pushed  on  in  ad- 
vance, in  order  to  reach  Sutter's  Fort,  where  he  would 
be  able  to  purchase  provisions.  Fitzpatrick  was  left  in 
charge  of  the  main  party,  with  orders  to  make  easy 
marches.  The  second  day  after  this  division  was  made, 
Mr.  Preuss,  Fremont's  assistant,  accidentally  got  lost. 
His  friends  began  making  search  for  him.  This  failing, 
they  traveled  on  slowly,  fired  guns  and  used  every 
means  in  their  power  to  let  their  whereabouts  be  known 
to  him.  After  wandering  about  for  four  days,  to  the 
surprise  and  joy  of  his  companions,  he  came  into  camp. 
During  his  absence  he  had  subsisted  on  acorns  and 
roots,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  was  nearly  exhausted, 
both  in  body  and  mind.  Three  days  after  Mr.  Preuss 
was  restored  to  them,  Fremont,  with  the  advance  party, 
reached  Sutter's  Fort.  He  and  his  party  were  very 
hospitably  received.  They  were  entertained  with  the 
best  the  post  could  furnish,  by  its  kind-hearted  proprie- 
tor. Never  did  men  more  deserve  such  treatment.  The 
condition  of  all  was  about  as  miserable  as  it  could  well 
be  imagined,  for  men  who  retained  their  hold  on  life. 

It  was  at  Sutter's  Fort,  as  most  of  our  readers  will 
remember,  that  the  great  gold-mines  of  California  first 
receivpd  their  kindling  spark,  the  discovery  of  that 
precious  metal  having  been  made  there.  While  some 
men  were  digging  a  mill-race  the  alluring  deposit 
first  appeared.  This  event  has  made  the  Fort  world- 
renowned. 

At  the  time  we  describe  Fremont  on  his  second  ex- 
pedition, nothing  whatever  was  known  of  the  immense 
fields  of  treasure  over  which  he   and  his  men  daily 


Bis&si 


FROM   WANT    TO    LUXURY.  211 

walked,  although,  for  many  years  previous  to  the  dis- 
covery being  made,  the  mountaineers  had  trapped  all 
the  rivers  in  that  vicinity,  and  on  their  banks  had 
herded  their  animals  for  months  together.  They  had 
drank  thousands  of  times  from  the  pure  water  as  it 
flowed  in  the  river's  channel,  and,  no  doubt,  frequently 
their  eyes  had  penetrated  through  it  until  they  saw 
the  sand  beneath  in  which,  perchance,  the  sparkling 
specks  may  have  occasionally  allured  them  sufficiently 
to  recall  the  proverb  that  "  all  is  not  gold  that  glitters." 

The  writer  once  made  inquiry  of  one  of  these  moun- 
taineers who  had  spent  two  summers  in  the  manner 
narrated  above  near  and  at  Sutter's  Fort,  some  twenty 
years  since.  He  was  asked  whether  he  ever  saw  there 
anything  in  the  shape  of  gold  which  in  any  way 
aroused  his  suspicions  ?  His  reply  was :  "  Never. 
And  had  1,  it  would  have  been  only  for  a  brief  space 
of  time,  as  finally  I  should  have  been  certain  that  I 
was  deluded  and  mistaken,  without  there  had  been  the 
Eagle  of  our  country  stamped  upon  it." 

Provisions  were  immediately  obtained  at  the  Fort 
and  carried  to  Fitzpatrick  and  his  party.  Great  diffi- 
culty had  now  to  be  encountered  to  prevent  the  men 
from  losing  their  lives  by  the  sudden  change  from  want 
to  comparative  luxury.  Notwithstanding  the  utmost 
care  was  taken,  some  of  the  party  lost  their  reason. 
The  hardships  of  the  journey  had  proved  too  much  for 
them.  Fitzpatrick  and  the  main  body  arrived  at  the 
Fort  in  a  few  days,  where  they  were  likewise  welcomed 
by  its  hospitable  and  generous  proprietor,  Captain  Sut- 
ter. His  name  in  California  has  ever  been  but  another 
term  for  kindness  and  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate. 
This  expedition,  in  one  respect  only,  can  be  called  un- 


212         TWO    OF    THE    PARTY    BECOME    DERANGED. 

fortunate.  When  the  terrible  sufferings  of  the  com- 
mander  and  his  men  have  been  named,  the  catalogue 
of  misfortune  is  ended.  Its  results,  grand  and  glorious, 
have  immortalized  the  name  of  every  man  who  as- 
sisted, in  any  way,  to  accomplish  it.  "  I  belonged  to 
the  several  Exploring  Expeditions  of  John  C.  Fremont" 
is  the  key-note  to  the  respect  and  homage  of  the 
American  nation  ;  the  truth  would  be  equally  real,  if 
we  add,  to  the  whole  civilized  world.  Every  heart 
which  beats  with  admiration  for  the  heroic,  or  which 
is  capable  of  appreciating  the  rich  contributions  to  the 
sciences,  direct  resultants  from  their  terrible  sufferings, 
has  thrilled  with  delight  when  possessed  of  the  history 
which  records  the  brilliant  achievements  of  these  Ex- 
ploring Parties. 

The  band  started  from  the  little  town  of  Kansas  on 
the  twenty-ninth  day  of  May,  1843.  It  returned  to 
the  United  States  in  August,  1844.  After  traveling 
seventeen  hundred  miles,  it  reached,  September  sixth, 
Salt  Lake.  On  the  fourth  day  of  November  it  reached 
Fort  Vancouver,  on  the  Columbia  River.  On  the 
sixth  day  of  March,  1844,  it  reached  Sutter's  Fort  in 
the  destitute  condition  already  explained.  The  dis- 
tance from  Fort  Hall  by  the  route  taken  is  about  two 
thousand  miles.  The  party  remained  at  Sutter's  Fort 
until  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  March,  or  as  Kit  Carson 
expresses  the  time  from  his  memory,  the  expedition 
remained  at  this  place  about  one  month.  At  the  expi- 
ration of  this  time,  the  party  was  sufficiently  recruited 
to  be  ready  for  their  return  journey,  which  they  com- 
menced in  April,  1844.  Just  previous  to  their  taking 
leave  of  Mr.  Sutter,  two  of  the  company  became 
deranged,  owing  to  the  privations  and  fasting  to  which 


RETURNED  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.       213 

they  had  been  obliged  to  submit  before  being  ushered 
into  a  land  of  plenty.  They  had  indulged  appetite  too 
freely,  and  brought  on  one  of  those  strange  revolu- 
tions in  the  brain's  action  which  never  fails  to  excite 
the  pity  of  friend  and  foe.  The  first  warning  which 
the  party  had  that  one  of  the  men  was  laboring  under 
a  disordered  intellect  occurred  in  the  following  man- 
ner. Early  in  the  morning  the  man  suddenly  started 
from  his  sleep  and  began  to  ask  his  companions  where 
his  riding  animal  was  gone.  During  this  time  it  was 
by  him,  but  he  did  not  know  it.  Unknown  to  the  rest 
of  the  party  he  started  off  soon  after  in  search  of  his 
imaginary  animal.  As  soon  as  his  absence  became 
known  to  Fremont,  he  surmised  the  truth  and  sent 
persons  in  all  directions  to  hunt  for  him.  They 
searched  the  neighboring  country  for  many  miles  and 
made  inquiries  of  all  the  friendly  Indians  they  chanced 
upon,  but  failed  to  discover  him.  Several  days  of 
delay  was  caused  by  this  most  unhappy  circumstance. 
Finally,  it  becoming  necessary  for  the  party  to  depart 
without  him,  word  was  left  with  Mr.  Sutter  to  continue 
the  hunt.  He  did  so  most  faithfully ;  and,  by  his  ex- 
ertions, some  time  after  the  party  had  set  out  on  the 
return  trip,  the  maniac  was  found  and  kept  at  the  Fort 
until  he  had  entirely  recovered.  He  was  then,  on  the 
first  opportunity,  provided  with  a  passage  to  the  United 
States. 

On  their  homeward-bound  journey,  the  party  fol- 
lowed up  the  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin,  crossing  over 
the  Sierra  Nevada  and  coast-range  of  mountains  at  a 
point  where  they  join  and  form  a  beautiful  low  pass. 
They  continued  on  from  here  close  under  the  coast 
range  until  they  struck  the  Spanish  Trail.     This  they 


214       ATTACKED  BY  HOSTILE  SAVAGES. 

followed  to  the  Mohave  River.  That  stream,  it  will  be 
recollected,  was  an  old  friend  of  Kit  Carson's.  The 
reader  will  recall  the  many  times  he  had  caught 
beaver  out  of  its  waters.  They  followed  the  trail  up 
the  course  of  the  river  to  where  it  leaves  it.  At  this 
point  an  event  occurred  which  somewhat  retarded  their 
progress,  relieving  the  monotony  of  the  route  and 
somewhat  changing  their  plans. 

Soon  after  the  camp  had  been  formed,  they  were 
visited  by  a  Mexican  man  and  boy ;  the  one  named 
Andreas  Fuentes,  the  other  Pablo  Hernandez.  They 
informed  Fremont  that  they  belonged  to  a  party  of 
Mexican  traders  which  had  come  from  New  Mexico. 
They  said  that  six  of  them,  including  in  this  number 
two  women  who  acted  as  cooks,  had  been  left  by  their 
friends  in  charge  of  a  band  of  horses.  The  rest  of  the 
party  were  absent  trafficking.  The  party  of  six  thus 
left  to  watch  the  horses,  consisted  of  Santiago  Giacome, 
Andreas  Fuentes  and  wife,  and  Pablo  Hernandez,  to- 
gether with  his  father  and  mother.  They  were  endeav- 
oring to  find  better  grazing  for  their  animals.  For  this 
purpose  they  had  penetrated  the  country  as  far  as  they 
dared  ;  and,  at  about  eighty  miles  from  the  camp  of 
Fremont,  had  resolved  to  wait  for  their  friends.  Fuen- 
tes and  the  boy  Pablo  were  on  guard  over  the  animals 
when  their  camp  was  attacked  by  hostile  savages.  The 
attacking  band  was  about  thirty  in  number. 

Their  principal  object  was  to  seize  the  horses.  To 
effect  this  the  more  easily,  they  saluted  the  little  band 
with  a  flight  of  arrows  as  they  advanced.  Fuentes  and 
Pablo  now  heard  Giacome  warning  them  to  start  the 
horses  and  run  for  it.  Both  were  mounted.  They 
obeyed  the  directions   of  Giacome,  and  with  the  en- 


CARSON  AND  GODEY  TO  THE  RESCUE.     215 

tire  band  of  horses  charged  boldly  into  the  midst  of 
the  Indians,  regardless  of  their  weapons.  The  charge 
succeeded  in  breaking  their  line,  through  which  Fuentes 
and  Pablo  boldly  dashed  after  their  animals.  The  In- 
dians deferred  the  chase  to  attend  to  a  more  bloody 
purpose.  Having  put  sixty  miles  between  them  and 
the  site  of  the  attack,  they  left  their  horses  and  started 
in  search  of  their  main  body.  This  search  led  them 
into  Fremont's  camp.  Fuentes  feared  that  the  worst 
had  overtaken  his  wife.  Pablo  already  looked  upon 
himself  as  an  orphan  boy.  He  doubted  not  that  the 
bloody  savages  had  murdered  both  his  father  and 
mother.  It  was  a  sad  picture  to  witness  their  grief. 
But  Kit  Carson  could  not  do  so  unmoved.  The  heart 
of  such  grief  has  ever  awakened  his  earnest  sympathy. 
His  sympathy,  too,  has  never  been  of  a  wordy  nature. 
He  volunteered  to  go  with  Fuentes  and  make  an  at- 
tempt to  deliver  the  captives,  if  such  they  should 
prove,  or  to  avenge  their  death,  if  that  became  the  sad 
alternative. 

Fuentes  had  left  the  horses  at  a  spring  of  water,  well 
known  to  Carson.  There  he  had  found  signs  of  white 
men  which  had  led  him  into  Fremont's  camp.  There 
was  no  difficulty  for  Carson  to  find  the  spring.  The 
whole  company  therefore  traveled  to  the  spring,  which 
they  reached  early  the  next  morning,  distant  about 
thirty  miles  from  their  last  camp.  The  horses  were 
not  to  be  seen.  A  short  examination  of  signs  soon  re- 
vealed to  Carson  and  Godey  that  the  two  Mexicans  had 
been  followed  by  the  Indians,  and  that  they  had  come 
upon  the  horses  shortly  after  they  had  left  them.  Of 
course  therefore  they  had  captured  and  driven  them  off. 

Carson  and   Godey  were   determined  to  make   one 


216  A   DON    QUIXOTIC   ADVENTURE. 

effort  to  punish  the  rascals.  They  started,  taking  Fu- 
entes  with  them,  upon  the  trail  of  the  Indians.  The 
chase  was  a  severe  one,  as,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
mountaineers,  the  Indians  would  not  make  a  short  trail 
after  acquiring  so  much  booty.  The  horse  which  Fu- 
entes  rode,  most  unfortunately,  gave  out  after  a  short 
ride.  There  was  no  time  to  be  lost  and  no  means  at 
hand  to  supply  this  important  deficiency.  To  turn 
back  to  camp  would  supply  it,  but  that  course  would 
also  lose  them  their  game.  Fuentes,  therefore,  was  re- 
quested to  return  to  Fremont's  camp,  and  there  await 
the  return  of  Kit  Carson  and  Godey.  These  two  had 
been  the  only  men  in  the  entire  command  who  had 
volunteered  in  this  chase.  The  loss  of  Fuentes,  there- 
fore, made  their  task  literally  a  Don  Quixotic  adventure. 
Two  men  against  thirty.  But  Kit  Carson  was  not  the 
man  to  turn  his  back  upon  an  adventure  as  soon  as  the 
difficulties  began  to  present  themselves.  He  well  knew 
that  he  had  one  man  on  whom  he  could  rely.  Richard 
Godey  was  his  tried  and  trusty  friend,  his  kindred  spirit 
and  a  noble  hearted  man.  Leaving  the  Mexican  to 
find  his  way  back  to  camp,  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
miles,  they  gave  him  their  word  that  they  would  finish 
the  business.  The  following  night  was  very  dark,  and 
in  order  to  keep  on  the  right  scent  Carson  and  Godey 
were  obliged  to  lead  their  horses,  and  frequently  to  fol- 
low the  trail  by  the  sense  of  feeling.  It  was  seldom, 
however,  that  they  lost  the  path,  and  never  for  more 
than  a  few  moments  at  a  time.  Gradually  the  signs 
grew  fresher  as  they  advanced,  which  gave  them  the 
assurance  that  they  were  rapidly  gaining  on  the  pur- 
suit. Finally,  they  concluded  that  only  a  few  hours 
separated  them  from  the  savages.    Having  accomplished 


AMONG    THE    THIEVING   KED-SKINS.  217 

a  considerable  part  of  their  journey  during  the  night, 
and  finding  that  both  themselves  and  their  horses  re- 
quired rest,  they  concluded  to  halt.  Having  unsaddled 
their  animals  and  turned  them  out  to  graze,  they 
wrapped  themselves  up  in  their  wet  blankets  and  laid 
down  to  sleep.  The  weather,  however,  was  too  cold  to 
permit  sleeping  in  comfort  without  a  fire.  That  they 
dare  not  make,  fearing  it  would  prove  a  warning  signal 
to  the  savages.  Having  worried  through  the  remainder 
of  this  cold  and  cheerless  night,  they  arose  early  in  the 
morning  and  went  to  the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine, 
where  they  kindled  a  small  fire  and  succeeded  in  warm- 
ing themselves.  At  day-break  they  re-saddled  their 
jaded  horses  and  once  more  started  upon  the  trail. 
Just  as  the  sun  was  rising  they  discovered  the  Indians. 
When  first  seen,  they  were  encamped  two  miles  in 
advance,  and  were  enjoying  a  breakfast  on  horse-steaks, 
having  already  killed  five  of  the  stolen  animals.  Kit 
Carson  and  his  friend  dismounted,  and,  concealing  their 
horses  near  by,  held  a  council  of  war.  They  decided 
to  crawl  in  among  the  herd  of  stolen  animals  which 
were  grazing,  without  guard,  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  camp  of  the  savages.  Upon  reaching  the  horses, 
they  agreed  to  be  guided  by  circumstances.  First 
divesting  themselves  of  all  useless  apparel,  they  com- 
menced their  task.  After  much  cautious  labor  they 
gained  their  point  and  stood  among  the  animals.  As 
soon,  however,  as  they  arrived,  one  of  the  young  horses 
of  the  band  became  frightened  at  the  grotesque  figures 
cut  by  the  two  creeping  men,  and  exhibited  his  fear  by 
snorting  and  kicking  up  his  heels.  This  alarmed  the 
remainder  of  the  horses  and  caused  quite  a  commotion 
among  them,  which  had  the  effect  to  alarm  the  savages. 


218  SCALPING   THE    INDIANS. 

who  sprang  for  their  arras.  With  a  yell,  Carson  and 
Godey  instantly  turned  towards  the  savages.  As  soon 
as  they  were  all  fairly  in  view,  the  two  white  men  saw 
that  they  had  thirty  warriors  before  them  to  deal  with. 
When  they  had  advanced  within  rifle  range,  Kit  Car- 
son halted,  and,  aiming  his  rifle  at  the  stoutest  looking 
brave,  fired.  The  fierce  savage  fell  with  a  cry  of 
anguish.  Godey  had  also  halted  and  fired,  but  he 
missed  his  aim.  Instantly  reloading,  he  made  the 
second  attempt,  and  this  time  brought  down  a  warrior. 
While  these  events  were  taking  place,  the  red  men 
were  running  about  in  great  confusion.  Occasionally 
they  returned  a  few  arrows,  but  they  all  proved  but 
harmless  missiles.  The  fact  was,  the  Indians  were 
puzzled  what  to  think  of  the  audacity  of  the  two  men. 
Evidently  they  considered  them  to  be  an  advance  party 
of  some  strong  force,  acting  with  a  view  of  decoying 
them  into  a  close  fight.  Acting  upon  this,  they  began 
to  fly  in  every  direction  except  that  from  which  danger 
impended.  Kit  and  Godey,  as  they  had  calculated, 
were  thus,  quite  unceremoniously,  left  masters  of  the 
enemy's  camp.  Besides  the  recaptured  horses,  they 
had  two  trophies  lying  upon  the  ground  in  the  shape 
of  a  brace  of  stalwart  warriors.  In  order  to  show  their 
companions  on  their  return  that  they  were  not  given 
to  boasting,  they  followed  the  example  and  practice  of 
the  savages,  and  scalped  the  two  Indians.  The  com- 
mon expression  now  in  use  is,  that  they  proceeded  to 
"  take  the  hair"  of  their  victims.  The  performance  of 
this  act  was  a  matter  of  choice,  and  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Godey,  while  Kit  Carson,  with  the  two  rifles,  ascended 
an  eminence  near  at  hand,  for  the  double  purpose  of 
standing  guard  over  his  companion  and  also  to  recon- 


TEKRIBLE    TORTURING.  219 

noitro.  Godey  commenced  his  operations  on  the  savage 
which  he  himself  had  shot.  Having  finished  with  him, 
he  started  for  the  other  Indian  hit  by  Kit  Carson.  But 
this  fellow,  after  he  had  fallen,  had  crawled  quite  out 
of  view  among  some  rocks.  Being  only  wounded,  he 
raised  up  and  sent  an  arrow  at  Godey  as  he  approached, 
which  pierced  his  shirt-collar.  The  Indian  had  already 
lost  a  large  amount  of  blood.  His  last  act  so  exhausted 
him  that  he  sank  back  upon  the  ground  and  expired. 
They  next  proceeded  to  collect  the  horses.  Upon 
counting  them,  they  found  the  number  stated  by  the 
Mexican  to  be  correct,  with  the  exception  of  five  killed 
by  the  Indians  for  their  feast.  The  animals  were  now 
driven  to  the  spot  where  their  own  horses  had  been  left. 
Here  they  held  another  council,  and  determined  to 
seek  out  the  fate  of  the  remainder  of  the  Mexican 
party.  They  therefore  bent  their  steps  towards  the 
late  camp  of  the  Mexicans.  There  they  found  the 
bodies  of  the  two  men  terribly  mangled.  The  savage 
ferocity  of  the  rascally  savages  had  here  had  full  play 
as  soon  as  they  found  that  the  two  who  were  on  guard 
had  broken  through  their  line  and  escaped  with  the 
horses.  Their  bodies  were  naked  and  full  of  arrows. 
The  women  were  not  to  be  found.  The  remains  were 
decently  interred  by  Carson  and  Godey,  and  then  they 
set  about  looking  for  the  women.  After  a  lono-  search 
they  could  discover  nothing  of  them,  and  concluded 
that  they  had  been  reserved  for  a  worse  fate.  The  re- 
mains of  these  two  poor  captives  were  afterwards  found 
by  some  of  Fremont's  men.  The  Indians,  not  satisfied 
with  killing  them,  had  staked  their  naked  bodies  to  the 
ground.  Kit  Carson  and  Gocley  having  now  accom- 
plished, on  this  errand  of  mercy,  all  that  lay  in   the 

13 


220         Fremont's  account  of  the  affair. 

power  of  man  to  do,  set  out  to  return  and  soon  rejoined 
their  friends,  whom  they  found  anxiously  waiting  for 
them.  Colonel  Fremont  concludes  his  account  of  this 
affair  in  the  following  words : 

"  Their  object  accomplished,  our  men  gathered  up 
all  the  surviving  horses,  fifteen  in  number,  returned 
upon  their  trail,  and  rejoined  us  at  our  camp  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day.  They  had  rode  about  one 
hundred  miles  in  the  pursuit  and  return,  and  all  in 
thirty  hours.  The  time,  place,  object,  and  numbers 
considered,  this  expedition  of  Carson  and  Godey  may 
be  considered  among  the  boldest  and  most  disinterested 
which  the  annals  of  western  adventure,  so  full  of  dar- 
ing deeds,  can  present.  Two  men,  in  a  savage  desert, 
pursue  day  and  night  an  unknown  body  of  Indians 
into  the  defiles  of  an  unknown  mountain — attack  them 
on  sight,  without  counting  numbers — and  defeat  them 
in  an  instant — and  for  what  ?  To  punish  the  robbers 
of  the  desert,  and  to  avenge  the  wrongs  of  Mexicans 
whom  they  did  not  know.  I  repeat :  it  was  Carson 
and  Godey  who  did  this — the  former  an  American, 
born  in  Kentucky ;  the  latter  a  Frenchman  by  descent, 
born  in  St.  Louis ;  and  both  trained  to  western  enter- 
prise from  early  life." 

The  stolen  property  was  restored  to  the  Mexicans 
without  one  cent  being  demanded  or  received  by  either 
Carson  or  Godey. 

It  was  not  for  the  love  of  Indian  fighting,  as  many 
may  suppose,  that  Kit  Carson  was  moved  to  take  part 
in  such  expeditions ;  but,  when  the  life  of  a  fellow- 
creature  was  exposed  to  Indian  barbarities,  no  living 
man  was  more  willing,  or  more  capable  of  rendering  a 
lasting  service  than  Christopher  Carson.     A  name  that, 


Hii 
mBKMifillmMwMM 


gpil 


.  ■  ■■■ 


POOLS  OF  COAGULATED  BLOOD.         221 

wherever  it  was  known,  was  ranked  among  the  "bravest 
of  the  brave." 

Soon   after  the    two   volunteers  came   in,  Fremont 
resumed  his  journey  and  continued  it  without  anything 
transpiring  to  disturb  the  equanimity  of  the  party  until 
they  reached  a  point  on  the  Virgin  River  where  the 
Spanish  trail  leaves  it.     It  became  necessary  to  change 
camps  here,  in  order  that  the  animals  might  take  ad- 
vantage of  better  grass.     As  the  party  were  enjoying 
a  day's  rest,  one  of  the    men,   a  Canadian  by  birth, 
missed  his  riding  mule  from  the  herd.      Without  in- 
forming any  of  his  friends  of  his  intentions,  he  started 
out  in  quest  of  the  animal.     His  absence,  at  first,  was 
not  noticed  ;  but,  soon,  inquiries  were  made  for  him, 
and  when  an  unusual  length  of  time  had  passed  with- 
out his  return,  Fremont  became  anxious  for  his  safety. 
He  directed  Kit  Carson  to  take  three  men  and  o-o  in 
search  of  him.     On  arriving  at  their  last  camp,  Kit 
found  a  spot  where,  undoubtedly,  the  man   had  fallen 
from  his  horse  wounded,  as,  about  the  place,  there  were 
pools  of  coagulated  blood.      It  was  noAv  believed  that 
their  companion  was  dead.   Kit  immediately  ordered  the 
party  to  search  for  his  body,  but  they  could  not  find  it. 
They  then  followed  the  trail  of  the   Canadian's  horse, 
which  it  was  very  evident  he  had  caught  and  mounted 
before  being  shot.     It  led  to  where   the   animal  had 
crossed  the  river.     There,  all  signs  disappeared.     After 
a  faithful   search  for  the  trail,  Kit  returned  to  camp, 
and  informed  his  commander  of  the  result  of  his  day's 
work.     The  next  morning  the  search  was  renewed  by 
all  of  the  company.      They  discovered   Indian   signs, 
yet  could   not  trace   them   to    where   the  body  was. 
After  looking  in  every  conceivable  hiding-place  in  the 


222  A.    FOURTH    OF    JULY    DINNER. 

neighborhood  of  the  signs,  the}^  gave  up  the  hunt. 
Kit  Carson  was  much  affected  by  the  loss  of  this  man. 
He  had  been  his  friend.  They  had  been  associated 
in  many  trapping  expeditions,  and  knew  each  other 
most  intimately.  He  felt  assured  that,  if  the  Cana- 
dian had  not  been  surprised  by  an  enemy  in  ambus- 
cade, he  would  have  killed  one  or  two  Indians  before 
he  himself  fell ;  for,  besides  being  a  very  brave  man, 
he  was  well  versed  in  Indian  mode  of  warfare,  ^nd  was 
considered  a  fine  marksman. 

The  party  now  proceeded  on  their  journey,  returning 
to  and  keeping  on  the  Spanish  Trail,  which  was  not 
left  until  they  reached  the  "  Yega  of  Santa  Clara." 
There  they  struck  out  across  the  country  to  the  Utah 
lake,  which,  after  crossing,  they  left,  and  went  to  the 
Wintry  River,  and  thence  to  Green  River,  Brown's 
Hole,  Little  Snake  River,  and  so  on  to  the  mouth  of 
St.  Vrain's  Fork.  It  was  here  that  they  traversed  the 
mountains  and  came  upon  Laramie  River,  below  the 
North  Park.  They  journeyed  through  this  into  the 
Middle  Park,  and  thence  traveled  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  south  fork  of  the  Platte.  On  quitting  it,  they  bent 
their  way  to  the  Arkansas  River,  coming  on  to  it  at  a 
point  just  below  the  place  where  it  leaves  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and,  by  keeping  on  down  it,  they  arrived 
at  Bent's  Fort  on  the  2d  of  July,  1844.  On  the  follow- 
ing  fourth  of  July,  Mr.  Bent  gave  a  dinner  in  com- 
memoration of  the  occasion  to  Fremont  and  his  party. 
Although  hundreds  of  miles  separated  from  their 
countrymen,  yet  they  sat  down  to  as  sumptuous  a  re- 
past as  could  be  furnished  in  many  towns  of  the  States. 

The  exploring  party  considered  their  labors  finished 
at  this  postj  as,  in  accordance  with  the  tastes  of  many 


THE    DIGGER    INDIAN.  223 

of  the  party,  they  were  near  enough  to  civilization. 
The  command  was  dissolved,  and  Colonel  Fremont  pro- 
ceeded on  his  route  to  Washington.  Kit  Carson,  about 
the  same  time,  started  for  Taos,  where  he  had  been  for 
a  long  time  anxiously  expected  by  his  family  and 
friends. 

During  this  expedition,  they  had  met,  for  the  first 
time,  that  most  abject  of  human  beings,  the  "  Digger." 
The  Digger  Indians,  inhabiting  the  Great  Basin,  are  of 
the  very  lowest  form  of  humanity.  Dispersed  in  single 
families,  without  fire-arms,  eating  seeds  and  insects  and 
digging  roots  (and  hence  their  name),  such  is  the  con- 
dition of  the  greater  part.  It  seems  incredible  that  a 
desert  so  devoid  of  all  nourishment,  could  have  native 
inhabitants.  Yet  such  is  the  fact.  When  the  few 
edible  roots  that  grow  in  low  grounds  or  marshy  places 
fail  them,  they  subsist  by  hunting  crickets,  "  hoppers," 
and  field  mice. 

Nothing  can  be  more  abject  than  the  appearance  of 
the  Digger  Indian  in  the  fall,  as  he  roams  about  with- 
out food,  almost  naked,  and  without  weapons,  save, 
perhaps,  a  bow  and  arrows,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  ground,  looking  for  crickets,  with  which  to  appease 
his  ever  present  appetite.  So  despicable  is  he  that  he 
has  neither  friends  or  enemies,  and  the  neighboring 
tribes  do  not  condescend  to  notice  his  existence,  unless 
he  should  happen  to  come  in  their  way,  when  they 
would  not  consider  it  more  than  a  playful  diversion  to 
put  an  end  to  his  miserable  life.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that, 
with  the  rapid  advance  of  civilization,  this  degraded 
race  may  be  brought  into  a  happier  state. 

Colonel  Fremont,  in  his  beautiful  and  instructive 
description    of  the  country  through  w^hich  this  expe- 


224  THE    GRASSES    OF    THE    PRAIRIES. 

dition  passed,  refers  to  the  grass  on  which  the  buffalo 
"  delight  to  feed."  It  is  eminently  proper  that  we 
should  add  a  few  words  for  general  information  con- 
cerning the  grasses  of  the  prairies,  as  also  concerning 
the  timber,  flowers,  game  face  of  the  country,  etc., 
etc.,  in  which  the  whole  life  of  Kit  Carson  has  been 
spent. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  between 
that  stream  and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  there  are  three 
distinct  species  of  grass  found.  The  first  is  the  short, 
curly  variety,  on  which  the  buffalo  are  said  to  feed, 
from  which  fact  it  takes  its  name.  The  second  kind  is 
the  Grama  grass,  which  is,  I  believe,  indigenous  to  only 
this  section  of  America.  Its  stalk  grows  to  the  height 
of  about  one  foot.  Near  its  top,  it  gives  off,  at  right 
angles,  another  stem,  which  is  usually  from  one  and  a 
half  to  three  inches  in  length.  From  this  last-men- 
tioned stem,  hang  clusters  of  seed  which  are  well  pro- 
tected by  a  suitable  covering.  It  is  said,  and  my  own 
observation  confirms  the  fact,  that  horses  will  leave 
grain,  such  as  corn  and  oats,  to  feed  on  this  grass ;  and 
its  wonderful  nutritious  properties  cannot  be  denied. 
Wild  oats  are  often  seen  in  the  mountain  valleys. 
Along  the  low,  swampy  lands  which  skirt  the  rivers 
of  the  plains,  there  is  yet  another  species  of  grass 
which  grows  oftentimes  several  feet  high,  and  has 
a  broad  blade,  similar  almost  to  that  of  the  flag 
plant.  On  approaching  the  mountains  the  blue-grass 
is  found,  which  is  nearly  the  same  as  that  usually  met 
with  in  many  of  our  western  States.  The  bunch  grass, 
as  spoken  of  by  Fremont,  is  the  short,  curly  grass  on 
which  the  buffalo  ''delights  to  feed,"  and  which  is  still 
good  when  dry  and  apparently  dead.     It  is  not  con- 


FLOWERS,    TIMBER,    GAME,    ETC.  225 

fined  to  the  mountains  in  New  Mexico,  but  is  some- 
times met  with  in  the  valleys,  where  it  grows  to  an 
immense  height.  In  the  low  lands  it  is  useless,  being 
too  tough  for  animals  to  masticate.  Strangers,  when 
journeying  in  these  parts,  often  make  the  mistake  of 
selecting  camps  in  this  tall  grass,  being  deceived  by 
its  thrifty  appearance;  but  one  night  thus  spent  will 
clearly  prove  its  utter  worthlessness. 

On  the  plains  there  are  but  few  wild  flowers ;  but, 
as  the  traveler  approaches  the  mountains,  they  greet 
his  eyes  in  extensive  beds  and  of  variegated  colors. 
This  wealth  and  variety  of  flowers  is  more  magnificent 
and  attractive  than  anything  cultivated.  The  colors 
are  more  deep  and  delicate  than  any  found  in  our  gar- 
dens, and  though  snow  and  frost  may  stiffen  their  blos- 
soms every  morning,  the  dry  air  preserves  them,  and 
they  grow  and  flower  until  the  September  and  October 
winter  fairly  freezes  them  out.  As  a  grazing  country 
the  Rocky  Mountains  and  their  immediate  vicinity  can- 
not be  surpassed.  The  timber  found  there  is  poor  in 
quality.  It  comprises  pine,  cedar,  and  cotton-wood, 
with  here  and  there  patches  of  small  and  crooked  oak 
bushes.  The  rivers  in  the  mountains  are  formed  from 
melting  snows,  and  springs.  They  come  tumbling 
down  through  rough  gorges  and  rocky  canons,  until 
they  are  free  in  the  valleys,  where  they  form  bold  and 
beautiful  rivers.  The  brook  trout  are  the  fish  which 
mostly  inhabit  them,  and,  a  singular  fact,  in  many  of 
these  streams  this  kind  of  fish  treat  the  presence  of  a 
man  with  perfect  indifference,  which  has  led  me  to 
believe  that,  in  their  primitive  state,  the  "  shy  trout " 
fear  neither  man  nor  beast.  The  Indians  catch  them, 
and  it  may  be  that  this  fish  is  first  frightened  by  them. 


226  GREAT    MINERAL    WEALTH. 

In  the  Rocky  Mountains,  south  of  the  head  waters  of 
the  Arkansas,  comparatively  speaking,  there  are  but 
few  small  birds  and  squirrels.  The  raven,  the  crow, 
the  hawk,  the  owl,  and  occasionally  the  eagle,  are  seen. 
Wild  geese,  ducks,  and  cranes,  are  common.  Pigeons, 
including  the  wild  dove,  are  not  often  seen.  The  mag- 
pie is  found  in  abundance.  Turkeys  and  grouse  are 
also  in  abundance.  Wild  rabbits  and  a  species  of  hare 
are  also  common.  Indeed  a  man  can  travel  for  days 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  never  hear  the  musical 
notes  of  a  bird.  In  these  mountains  rattlesnakes  are 
only  found  in  the  valleys,  where  it  is  warm.  In  the 
summer,  the  deer  and  elk  live  in  the  mountains ;  but 
when  cold  weather  sets  in  they  are  driven  out  of  them 
by  the  deep  snows.  The  antelope  of  the  plains  seek 
the  mountain  valleys  during  the  winter.  The  buffalo 
migrate  south  as  the  season  becomes  too  severe  for 
them.  Sometimes  they  are  caught  by  the  storms,  and 
are  obliged  to  winter  also  in  the  mountain  valleys.  The 
pine  trees  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  bear  a  small  nut, 
which  is  called  by  the  Mexicans  pinon,  which,  when 
cooked,  are  quite  pleasant  to  the  taste.  There  are 
many  small  salt  lakes  in  the  mountains,  and  many 
marshes,  where  the  ground  is  covered  white  by  the 
salt  deposit.  The  mineral  wealth  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains is  very  great,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  some 
day  rich  veins  of  gold,  silver,  and  iron  ore  will  be  dis- 
covered there.  The  geological  formation  of  the  coun- 
try  is  such  as  to  warrant  this  belief.  Nearly  every 
stream  carries  down  in  its  floods  that  precious  metal, 
gold,  but,  in  such  small  quantities,  as  not  to  attract 
the  attention  of  miners.  I  have  found  there,  on  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  small  pieces  of  material  resem- 


HOT    SPKINGS.  227 

bling  stone  coal,  which  have  probably  been  thrown  up 
by  some  volcanic  action.  Hot  and  mineral  springs  are 
not  unfrequently  met  with.  They  are  places  of  fre- 
quent resort  by  the  Indians,  who  use  them  for  medi- 
cinal purposes. 


228  KIT    CAttSON    BECOMES    A    FARMER. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Kit  Carson  concludes  to  become  a  Farmer — He  is  joined  in  the  Enter- 
prise by  a  Friend — They  build  a  Ranche  on  the  Cimeron  River — De- 
scriptions of  Mexican  Customs  and  Country — Fremont  once  more  at. 
Bent's  Fort — Express  sent  for  Kit  Carson  to  join  the  Expedition  as 
Guide — The  Ranche  sold,  and  the  Departure — The  Third  Expedition 
and  its  Explorations — Difficulties  with  the  Mexican-Californians — 
General  Castro's  Orders  to  leave  the  Country — Determination  to 
Fight — Fremont  goes  to  Lawson's  Fort — Fremont  and  his  Men  en- 
counter a  Thousand  Indians — The  Battle  and  the  Victory — The  news 
that  War  had  been  declared  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico 
reaches  Fremont — Lieutenant  Gillespie  rescued  from  the  Indians — 
Three  of  the  party  killed  in  the  Night  by  Indians — The  Savages  re- 
pulsed— The  Burial  of  Comrades. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1845,  Kit  Carson,  after  weigh- 
ing the  various  occupations  which  presented,  decided 
to  become  a  farmer.  One  of  his  mountaineer  friends, 
Mr.  Richard  Owens,  came  to  the  same  conclusion. 
Together  they  talked  over  their  plans,  and  concluded 
that  it  would  be  to  them,  at  least,  newness  of  life  to 
be  domiciled  in  their  own  houses.  The  two  hunters 
carefully  marked  out  their  plans,  and  then  set  to  work 
with  a  will  for  success  to  carry  them  into  execution. 
A  very  short  time  enabled  them  to  choose  a  farming 
site,  because  their  knowledge  of  the  country  enabled 
them  to  see  all  of  its  desirable  localities,  as  it  were,  at 
a  glance.  They  decided  to  purchase  a  tract  of  wild 
land  situated  on  the  little  Cimeron  River,  and  improve 
it.      Their  arrangements  were  soon  made,    tools   and 


ACTIVE    OPERATIONS.  ^29 

implements,  stock  and  animals,  provisions  and  necessa- 
ries all  procured.  With  the  services  of  some  laborers 
hired  by  them,  they  were  soon  engaged  actively  pre- 
paring their  land  for  the  reception  of  seed.  The  spot 
which  they  selected  was  forty-five  miles  east  of  Taos. 
They  commenced  the  enterprise  by  building  some 
small  huts.  These  afforded  both  themselves  and  their 
Mexican  laborers  a  comfortable  lodgment.  They  sowed 
a  considerable  quantity  of  grain,  and  prepared  timber 
almost  sufficient  to  build  good  substantial  houses. 
Their  vigorously  prosecuted  labors  began  to  show  evi- 
dent results,  and  in  the  prospect,  it  was  clearly  appar- 
ent that  another  year  would  serve  to  give  them  profita- 
ble reward  for  their  enterprise. 

It  seems  appropriate  at  this  point,  that  we  should 
enable  the  reader  to  look  upon  and  judge  of  the  farm- 
ing country  and  habits  of  New  Mexico ;  their  markets, 
and  some  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people 
who  dwell  in  cities.  The  town  of  Taos  affords  a  fair 
sample  of  the  markets,  and  as  Kit  Carson  has  many 
times  been  exhibited  to  the  reader  at  that  place,  it  is 
very  proper  that  we  should  describe  it. 

The  town  of  Taos  is  located  in  a  valley  called  by  the 
same  name.  The  town  consists  of  a  series  of  villages, 
which  are  scattered,  and  are  known  to  the  Mexicans  by 
various  names.  The  main  village  is  called  Fernandez  de 
Taos,  and  is  located  near  the  center  of  the  valley  on  a 
high  plateau  of  ground.  The  buildings  here,  as,  indeed, 
in  all  the  towns  of  New  Mexico,  are  constructed  of 
adobes,  and  are  one  story  high,  with  what  is  usually 
known  as  flat  roofs.  These  houses  are  huddled  together 
without  much  regard  being  paid  to  streets.  The  main 
attraction  of  the  town  is  the  plaza,  where  all  the  busi- 


230  TAOS,    NEW   MEXICO. 

ness,  such  as  marketing,  etc.,  is  carried  on.  It  is  here 
that  the  stores  are  located ;  and,  on  a  fete  day,  or  in 
business  hours,  it  is  thronged  with  Mexicans,  Ameri- 
cans, and  Indians.  Among  these  there  is  a  large  per- 
centage of  idlers.  The  houses  are  mostly  covered  with 
a  white  material,  which  is  either  chalk  or  lime.  The 
church  is  the  largest  building  in  the  town,  and  is  a 
rough  specimen  of  architecture,  which  is  rudely  fin- 
ished within.  It  has  a  flat  sounding  bell,  propped  up  in 
a  sort  of  a  belfry.  To  make  a  noise  on  this,  a  piece  of 
iron  or  several  stones  are  used ;  and,  when  an  attempt 
at  chiming  is  made,  it  is  very  laughable.  The  figures 
representing  saints,  and  even  the  altar,  are  a  strange 
compound  of  imitation.  On  the  respective  days  set 
apart  by  the  Catholic  Church  for  worship,  marriages 
and  fete  services  are  carried  on  with  a  great  attempt 
at  pomp,  but,  under  the  circumstances,  they  leave  no 
lasting  impression  of  grandeur,  save  on  the  inhabitants 
who  have  beheld  nothing  beyond  their  own  country. 
The  dignitary  most  respected  in  these  towns  is  the 
Padre  (or  Priest),  who  is  looked  upon  as  sacred ;  and, 
when  so  inclined,  this  class  of  men  have  the  power  of 
accomplishing  much  good,  but  oftentimes  they  pervert 
this  power,  setting  bad  examples  in  their  mode  of  life, 
and  offering  wicked  counsel.  However,  under  the 
management  of  the  present  bishop,  who  is  a  very  ex- 
emplary man,  these  things  are  being  changed.  The  old 
Priests  of  New  Mexico  were  formerly  educated  in  Old 
Mexico.  Their  information  was  very  imperfect,  and 
their  minds  were  contracted  down  to  extreme  narrow- 
ness, from  want  of  observation ;  hence,  they  were  the 
means  of  retarding  the  natural  progress  of  the  people. 
It  cannot  be  denied  but  that  the  Catholic  religion  has 


STREET   SCENE   IN   TAOS. 


MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS.  231 

been  the  pioneer  system  in  the  far  West,  and  that,  in 
the  hands  of  good  and  pure  men,  it  has  done  much 
praiseworthy  work,  and  has  set  an  example  which 
other  creeds  might  and  ought  to  follow.  The  valley 
of  Taos  is  bounded  on  all  sides  by  lofty  mountains, 
which  are  but  continuations  of  the  Rocky  chain.  The 
boundaries  of  this  valley  are  very  irregular,  both  in 
the  course  they  take  and  in  their  altitudes.  The  val- 
ley is  about  thirty  miles  wide  and  some  fifteen  miles 
long.  The  ground  has  the  appearance,  at  first  sight, 
of  being  a  plain ;  but,  on  closer  observation,  it  is  found 
to  contain  many  ravines,  and  to  bear  the  appearance 
of  being  undulating.  To  the  west  side  of  it  rolls  the 
Rio  Grande,  which  cuts,  for  most  of  the  way,  through 
a  deep  and  impassable  (for  fording  purposes)  channel. 
In  the  valley  there  are  but  few,  if  any,  trees,  which 
fact  gives  the  villages  a  barren  look.  The  mountains 
about  are  covered  with  timber  which  is  not  generally 
of  the  first  quality  for  building  purposes.  The  num- 
ber of  people  included  within  the  limits  of  this  valley 
it  is  difficult  to  estimate,  but  about  ten  thousand  would 
include  every  living  soul.  The  occupation  of  the  peo- 
ple is  farming.  Raising  horses,  cattle  and  sheep  is  car- 
ried on  to  a  certain  extent;  but  most  of  the  large  herds 
of  these  animals  owned  in  this  town  are  kept  at  ranches 
situated  at  more  distant  points,  where  grass  is  to  be 
had  in  abundance,  and  those  retained  about  the  villages 
are  only  kept  for  immediate  use.  The  reason  for  this 
is  found  in  the  fact  that  most  of  this  valley  is  not  un- 
der cultivation,  but  is  covered  with  sage  bushes.  It  is 
around  the  skirts  of  the  mountains  that  the  only  valu- 
able grass  is  found.  The  people,  as  a  general  thing, 
are  quite  poor,  but,  as  they  find  a  ready  market  through 


232  THE    CLIMATE    OF    NEW   MEXICO. 

the  military  posts  for  their  produce,  they  manage  to 
realize  some  money,  and  thus  live  quite  comfortably, 
in  contrast  with  their  former  destitute  condition 
under  the  government  of  Old  Mexico.  Some  of  the 
inhabitants  might  be  said  to  be  rich,  though  but  few 
of  this  class  own  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  prop- 
erty. It  is  with  great  labor  that  the  people  of  Taos 
bring  their  crops  to  perfection,  as  it  is  necessary  to  irri- 
gate the  soil,  unless  the  season,  which  is  rarely  the  fact, 
is  favorable  in  furnishing  rains  to  them.  There  are  no 
fences  to  divide  one  man's  possessions  from  another's; 
but,  by  common  law,  they  furnish  shepherds  to  guard 
their  flocks  and  cattle  and  keep  them  from  trespassing. 
The  climate  is  very  severe  during  the  winter  season, 
but  in  the  summer  it  is  delightful.  The  health  of  this 
community  is  wonderfully  good.  Indeed,  the  only 
severe  diseases  they  have  to  contend  against  are 
brought  on  by  vices.  Excluding  small-pox,  and  the 
lesser  complaints  among  young  children,  no  epidemics 
are  known.  The  country  is  so  elevated  and  inland 
that  the  air  is  dry  and  salubrious,  and  the  "dew  point" 
is  rarely  reached  so  as  to  amount  to  anything.  It  may 
be  well  to  add  here,  that  for  the  consumptive  patient, 
in  the  early  stages  of  the  disease,  there  is  no  such  cli- 
mate in  the  world  to  visit,  as  that  of  New  Mexico ;  but, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  he  must  vary  his  location  with 
the  changes  of  temperature,  being  governed  by  the 
seasons.  The  winter  in  Taos  is  too  severe  for  him ; 
then,  he  must  go  south,  towards,  or  even  to  El  Paso, 
where  it  is  congenial  to  his  disease.  I  prophesy  that 
some  day  our  internal  continent  will  be  the  "  Mecca  " 
for  pilgrims  with  this  disease. 

The  dress  of  the  New  Mexican  is  the  same  as  in  Old 


MEXICAN    WOMEN.  233 

Mexico.  The  peasant  wears  his  sombrero  and  his  ever- 
lasting blanket,  which  serves  him  as  a  coat,  and  a  cov- 
ering by  night.  He  rarely  has  but  one  suit  of  clothes, 
which  are  put  on  new  and  worn  until  they  are  of  no 
further  use.  By  amalgamating  with  the  Americans, 
they  are  gradually  changing  their  style  of  dress.  The 
buckskin  pants,  which  were  characteristically  cut  and 
ornamented,  are  giving  way  to  the  ordinary  cloth  ones 
of  his  white  companion.  It  is  so  with  the  blanket,  which 
is  being  shed  for  the  coat ;  and,  again,  this  is  true  with 
the  moccasin,  which  is  being  replaced  by  the  leathern 
shoe.  The  dress  of  the  female  has  undergone  the 
same  alteration.  From  almost  a  state  of  nudity,  they 
have  been  raised  to  a  position  from  which  they  look 
upon  silk  and  satin  with  a  "connoisseur's  eye."  When 
New  Mexico  was  part  and  parcel  of  the  domain  of  Old 
Mexico,  Taos  was  the  seat  of  much  smuggling  from 
the  United  States,  and  many  an  apparent  pack  of  grain 
drawn  into  the  town  has  been  nothing  less  than  pack- 
ages of  domestic  goods,  the  duties  upon  which,  when 
introduced  in  the  legal  way,  were  enormous;  hence 
the  white  men  engaged  in  this  business,  when  success- 
ful, met  with  ample-  rewards  for  their  labors.  The 
frontiers  were  like  the  olden  sea-coasts.  The  Mexi- 
cans kept  out  scores  of  custom-house  officers  to  guard 
their  frontiers,  but  the  shrewd  foreigners,  many  times, 
were  able  to  escape  them  ;  at  others,  they  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  find  that  a  bribe  would  answer  as  well. 
An  old  trick  was  to  have  a  double  bottom  to  a  wagon, 
and,  in  the  vacant  space  thus  formed,  were  stowed  val- 
uable shawls  and  such  light  articles  as.  would  meet  a 
sure  and  remunerative  sale.  Sometimes  the  goods 
were  brought  near  the  frontiers  and  there  hidden  in 


234  PUEBLO    INDIANS. 

the  ground  until  a  favorable  opportunity  offered  to 
steal  them  into  the  country.  When  there  was  great 
danger  that  these  secreted  goods  would  be  discovered, 
the  smugglers  would  so  arrange  a  keg  of  powder  with 
a  loaded  pistol  pointing  at  it,  with  strings  running  to 
the  shrubbery  near  by,  so  as  to  cause  it  to  explode 
and  kill  the  searchers  should  the  bushes  about  be  dis- 
turbed. One  old  smuggler  once  fixed  things  in  this 
manner,  but  performed  his  task  too  well ;  for,  on  going 
to  remove  his  property,  he  came  very  near  blowing 
himself  up,  as  the  mine  was  sprung  and  he  was  thrown 
in  the  air,  but  miraculously  escaped.  Many  of  the 
adventures  of  these  men  would  be  interesting  ;  but 
they  are  too  voluminous  to  be  embodied  in  our  work. 
The  valley  of  Taos  is  well  watered  by  mountain  streams 
which  flow  into  the  Rio  Grande.  On  one  of  these 
creeks  and  near  the  mountains,  to  the  east  of  Fernan- 
dez de  Taos,  is  located  an  Indian  Pueblo  which  is  very 
interesting  to  the  traveler.  Its  houses  are  built  one 
on  top  of  another  until  a  sort  of  pyramid  is  formed. 
The  people  enter  their  respective  domiciles  through 
the  roofs,  which  form  a  kind  of  steps.  At  the  foot  of 
this  queer  building  there  is  a  church  ;  and  around,  the 
scenery  is  very  picturesque,  as  the  whole  is  bounded 
on  one  side  by  a  gap  in  the  mountains,  while  on  the 
other  is  the  open  valley.  This  band  of  Indians  at  first 
offered  great  resistance  and  fought  with  much  bravery 
against  the  United  States ;  but  now  they  are  counted 
among  its  most  faithful  allies,  and  are  great  in  their 
admiration  of  Kit  Carson.  The  farming  utensils  of 
the  New  Mexicans  are  rude  in  the  extreme  ;  but  the 
agricultural  implements  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  are  slowly 
replacing  these  articles.     The  old  plow,  as  frequently 


A  MEXICAN  CART 


THE  PUEBLO   OF  TAOS. 


PRIMITIVE    FARMING.  237 

used  at  the  present  time  by  the  New  Mexicans,  is  in- 
deed a  curiosity,  as  it  probably  was  invented  in  the 
earliest  times.  It  consists  of  one  piece  of  timber  which 
is  crooked  the  proper  shape  by  nature ;  the  end  of  this 
is  sharpened,  and  on  it  is  fastened  a  single  piece  of  iron 
which  has  an  attempt  at  a  sharp  point.  The  force  to 
propel  this  farming  implement  is  attached  in  the  usual 
way,  with  but  few  modifications.  Oxen  are  always  em- 
ployed in  this  labor,  and  their  yoke  is  fastened  after 
the  Egyptian  fashion,  to  their  horns  instead  of  by  bows. 
In  breaking  up  the  hard  prairies,  this  plow  had  a  diffi- 
cult task  to  perform  and  was  often  broken  ;  but,  by  the 
assistance  of  men  employed  in  clearing  obstacles,  such 
as  sage  bushes,  etc.,  the  task  was  imperfectly  gone 
through  with.  The  Mexican  axe  is  another  curious 
tool,  which  resembles  as  much  the  common  pick  of  our 
laborers  as  it  does  the  axe  used  by  American  woods- 
men. The  sickle  is  used  in  harvesting  to  this  day  in 
these  parts,  performing  the  duties  of  the  scythe,  the 
cradle,  etc.  The  most  remarkable  sight  of  all  is  the 
Mexican  cart,  the  noise  of  which,  when  moving,  can  be 
heard  on  a  still  day  at  a  great  distance.  The  wheels 
of  this  vehicle  are  at  least  one  foot  thick,  and  con- 
sist of  pieces  of  solid  wood  which  are  pegged  together 
and  made  to  approach  a  circle  by  the  best  judgment 
of  the  eye,  without  the  aid  of  measuring.  These 
wheels  are  very  heavy,  and  when  rolling  they  go 
by  jerks,  owing  to  their  want  of  proportion,  etc. 
The  body  of  the  cart,  as  are  all  of  its  parts,  is  made 
of  hard  wood,  and  seems  to  be  constructed  for  weight 
and  strength  instead  of  beauty.  The  whole  affair, 
when  complete,  is  almost  a  load  by  itself;   hence,  it  is 

•capable  of  carrying  but  a  small  cargo.     The  grain  that 
14 


238  PKODUCTS    OF    NEW   MEXICO. 

Mexicans  of  New  Mexico  grow  is  corn  and  wheat,  and 
it  is  on  these  crops  that  they  depend  for  their  support. 
In  converting  this  grain  into  flour,  they  either  use  the 
old  water-mill,  which  is  very  primitive  in  its  construc- 
tion, or  else,  when  these  are  not  near  by,  they  make 
use  of  two  stones  and  grind  it  by  hand.  Their  com- 
mon diet  is  a  sort  of  thick  gruel  made  of  corn  meal, 
wheat  bread,  eggs,  peas,  beans,  pumpkins,  which  lat- 
ter article  they  roast,  and  then  break  holes  into  them 
and  with  a  spoon  dip  out  the  contents  as  they  are  re- 
quired ;  and,  to  finish  the  catalogue,  sometimes  meat, 
game  and  milk.  The  fruits  found  in  New  Mexico  are 
not  various,  and  are  mostly  confined  to  apples,  peaches, 
plums  and  grapes.  These  latter  are  truly  superior, 
and  are  raised  in  the  greatest  abundance  in  the  south 
of  the  Territory,  where,  also,  they  manufacture  a  very 
pleasant  red  wine,  which  goes  by  the  name  of  El  Paso 
wine.  We  take  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Taos  as  a  good  type  to  judge  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  New  Mexicans,  for  the  town  is  sec- 
ond only  in  size,  in  this  territory,  to  Santa  Fe.  The 
inhabitants  of  New  Mexico,  notwithstanding  their  pov- 
erty and  neglect,  owing  to  their  remote  locality,  are 
perhaps  as  happy  and  contented  as  any  community  in 
the  world.  They  are  not  over-celebrated  for  their 
chastity  or  virtue ;  and,  to  the  disgrace  of  the  white 
man,  they  have  not  been  assisted  by  him  in  these  car- 
dinal principles ;  but,  time  will  work  wonders  on  this 
score  and  teach  the  immorality  of  such  j>roceedings. 
Their  great  source  of  enjoyment  consists  in  dancing ; 
and  hence  the  fandango  is  always  looked  for  as  a  time 
when  dull  care  will  be  dispelled.  A  grand  fandango  is  the 
event  of  a  New  Mexican's  life.     These  affairs  are  gotten 


A   MEXICAN   GARDEN. 


THE    GRAND    FANDANGO.  239 

up  sometimes  for  charitable  purposes,  when  the  money 
gathered  in  the  sale  of  refreshments  is  distributed  to 
the  poor  ;  or  else  they  are  started  by  individuals  to 
make  a  little  money  out  of.  In  a  town  the  size  of 
Taos,  during  the  winter  season,  hardly  a  night  passes 
by  without  a  dance.  Written  invitations  in  Spanish 
are  freely  circulated  about  the  town  in  order  to  entrap 
the  strangers,  while  the  inhabitants  are  invited  by  other 
means.  The  music  consists  of  a  high-strung  violin  and 
a  species  of  guitar.  This  is  perambulated  about  the 
town.  The  players  perform  light  dancing  tunes  and 
accompany  the  music  with  their  voices,  making  up  the 
words  as  they  go  along.  This  music  is  learned  entirely 
by  ear,  and  is  transmitted  from  one  generation  to  an- 
other through  the  means  of  these  fandangos.  The 
vocal  music  is  anything  but  harmonious  to  the  ear, 
but  some  of  the  airs,  when  played  on  the  instruments, 
are  rather  pleasing,  and  one,  on  hearing  them,  finds 
himself  often  humming  them  afterwards.  The  powers 
of  music  are  nowhere  better  illustrated  than  among 
these  people.  Their  ready  ear  quickly  catches  a  new 
tune,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  hear,  in  a  Mexican 
town,  a  senorita  giving  vent  to  a  negro  melody  or  a 
favorite  polka  wdiich  she  has  heard  some  American 
sing  or  whistle.  At  Santa  Fe  there  are  several  noted 
players  on  the  violin  and  harp  who  cannot  read  a  word 
of  music,  yet  they  can  play  on  their  respective  instru- 
ments with  taste  and  skill. 

A  New  Mexican  female  in  preparing  herself  for  these 
balls,  is  very  particular  in  making,  by  the  aid  of  cos- 
metics, her  complexion  as  light  as  possible.  She  first 
uses  a  red  berry,  which  stains  her  face  almost  to  the 
color  of  brick  and  renders  her  excessively  ugly ;  this 


240  "the  dark-eyed  senorita." 

she  leaves  on  several  hours,  when  it  is  washed  off  and 
chalk  is  applied  so  freely  as  to  render  it  easily  percepti- 
ble. In  her  toilet  she  is  also  very  particular,  as  far  as 
the  exterior  is  concerned,  and  in  the  fandango  the 
stranger's  eyes  are  taken  by  storm  by  the  gaudy  colors 
he  sees  rather  than  the  neatness  of  the  dress.  The 
floor  of  the  dancing-room  is  usually  the  mother  earth, 
which  is  frequently  sprinkled  with  water  to  keep  down 
the  dust.  The  men  are  in  their  every  day  habiliments, 
with  the  addition  of  any  clean  thing  they  may  chance  to 
possess  ;  but,  usually  they  are  a  motley  crowrd,  a  glance 
at  whom  at  first  leaves  the  impression  that  they  are  far 
from  being  refined.  Except  when  dancing  they  cling 
to  their  blankets,  and  at  the  least  pause  in  the  pro- 
ceedings, they  at  once  draw  forth  the  materials  and 
make  their  cigarettos.  Both  men  and  women  indulge 
in  these  articles ;  and  oftentimes  when  the  dance  is  in 
full  blast,  the  air  of  the  room  is  densely  charged  wTith 
the  smell  of  the  burning  punchi,  a  species  of  tobacco, 
making  it  anything  but  agreeable.  The  women  are 
seated  on  benches  along  the  walls  of  the  building,  by 
themselves,  while  the  men  congregate  in  knots  together. 
On  the  commencement  of  a  figure,  the  Mexican  selects 
his  partner  and  notifies  her  that  she  is  his  choice  by 
making  a  signal  to  her  with  his  hand,  when  she  takes 
her  position  in  the  dance.  The  eyes  and  the  latent 
smile  on  the  face  of  the  "  dark-eyed  senorita  "  shows 
she  is  enjoying  herself.  The  men  exhibit  their  pleas- 
ure in  a  more  boisterous  manner  ;  that  is,  by  occasion- 
ally whooping  and  cracking  jokes.  Gambling  is  carried 
on  under  the  same  roof;  and  in  this  both  men  and 
women  join  as  long  as  their  money  lasts.  Then  they 
make  room  for  others   who  are  anxious  to  try  their 


THE    VICES    OF    NEW    MEXICO.  241 

fortunes.  This  vice  is  truly  of  a  national  character, 
and  so  given  to  it  are  these  people,  that  they  will  part 
with  anything  to  support  their  appetite.  To  their 
credit  it  can  be  said,  that  the  New  Mexican  women  in- 
dulge but  sparingly  in  alcoholic  liquor  ;  but  the  men 
are  prone  to  the  intoxicating  cup.  They  often  antici- 
pate the  evil  effects  of  drink,  and  it  is  not  unfrequent  to 
see  a  New  Mexican  assuming  the  airs  of  a  drunken  man 
after  two  or  three  mouthfuls  of  "aqua-diente."  The 
spirit  of  the  ball  is  carried  on  well  into  the  short  hours 
of  night,  when  all  parties  depart  for  their  homes.  Intoxi- 
cation, that  curse  to  all  men,  is  playing  havoc  with  this 
innocent  amusement  of  the  people,  and  causing  these 
scenes  to  terminate  in  riot,  and  often  bloodshed,  espe- 
cially when  the  jealousy  of  the  white  blood  is  raised  at 
some  imagined  insult ;  and  then,  as  is  always  the  case, 
the  two  races  come  in  fierce  contact.  It  is  hoped  that 
by  the  aid  of  schools  and  education  these  things  may 
be  ameliorated,  but  they  cannot  be  cured.  The  mis- 
chief is  too  deeply  rooted. 

We  have  thus  endeavored  to  give  the  reader  a  view 
of  the  people  among  whom  Kit  Carson  had  determined 
to  become  a  farmer.  But  he  was  not  destined  to  finish 
and  perfect  his  plans. 

Near  the  conclusion  of  the  second  exploring  expedi- 
tion, and  at  the  time  when  Kit  Carson  took  his  depart- 
ure from  the  party,  Colonel  Fremont  had  received  a 
promise  from  him  to  the  effect  that  he  would  join  any 
party  of  discovery,  for  the  further  exploration  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  which  he,  Colonel  Fremont,  should 
command. 

During  the  active  duties  of  a  farmer's  life,  and  just 
as  Kit  Carson   had    brought  his    new    enterprise  into 


242  CARSON  HAS  DISPATCHES  FROM  FREMONT. 

working  order,  an  expressman  from  Colonel  Fremont  ar- 
rived at  his  ranche,  bearing  dispatches  to  Carson.  The 
purport  of  these  dispatches  was  to  remind  Kit  Carson 
of  his  promise,  to  inform  him  of  the  organization  of  a 
third  expedition,  and  to  appoint  a  place  where  Kit 
Carson  might  find  his  old  commander. 

The  express  found  Carson  in  the  midst  of  so  many 
cares  and  anxieties  concerning  his  new  project,  that  it 
became  a  very  difficult  matter  for  him  to  keep  his  word. 
But  the  sacrifice  of  pecuniary  interest  was  but  a  slight 
consideration  with  Kit,  when  weighed  in  the  balance 
against  his  promise.  He  knew  that  his  promise  had 
not  been  either  lightly  given  or  received.  Colonel  Fre- 
mont, by  it,  had  the  first  right  to  his  time  and  energies, 
and  had  formed  his  expectations  accordingly ;  and  Kit 
lost,  therefore,  no  time  in  making  preparations  to  satisfy 
these  expectations  by  reporting  himself  at  the  appointed 
place  of  meeting,  ready  for  the  march. 

But  to  effect  this  was  attended  with  no  slight  diffi- 
culties. Kit  Carson  had  a  large  sum  invested  in  his 
improvements,  by  way  of  payments  for  labor,  as  well 
as  purchases  of  stock,  provision,  farming  tools,  utensils, 
teams,  wagons,  seed,  and  stock  in  general.  The  erec- 
tion of  his  house,  barns,  etc.,  was  under  an  advance 
which  reached  far  towards  completion.  But  with  Kit 
Carson,  his  word  was  worth  more  than  prospective 
losses  which  its  fulfillment  would  entail.  In  company 
with  Mr.  Owens,  he  set  himself  actively  at  work  to  effect 
a  complete  sell-out.  In  four  days  from  the  receipt  of 
Fremont's  note,  Carson,  in  company  with  Mr.  Owens, 
started  to  join  the  party,  having  sold  house  and  farm 
for  less  than  half  the  sum  he  had  first  expended  upon 
it,  and  put  his  family  under  the  protection  of  his  friend, 


CHARACTERISTIC    PROMPTNESS.  243 

Governor  Bent,  until  he  should  return  from  a  certainly 
long  and  dangerous  journey. 

Unfortunately,  this  protection  proved  insufficient,  for, 
in  the  infamous  Taos  Massacre,  which  soon  ensued, 
Carson's  brother-in-law  was  massacred,  and  Mrs.  Carson 
only  saved  her  life  by  flight. 

Carson  and  Owens  took  the  route  for  Bent's  Fort, 
and  arrived  there  in  the  course  of  a  few  days.  The 
meeting  between  Fremont  and  Carson  was  mutually 
satisfactory.  With  his  friend,  Mr.  Owens,  he  joined 
the  third  expedition  of  Colonel  Fremont,  which  was  the 
last  one  which  he  undertook  by  authority  of  the  United 
States  Government. 

A  long  tramp  was  before  them.  The  arrangements 
preparatory  were,  therefore,  made  with  corresponding 
care  and  diligence.  The  route  led  up  the  Arkansas 
River  to  the  point  where  that  stream  leaves  the  moun- 
tains ;  thence  they  made  a  circuit  by  the  Ballo  Salado, 
or  Soda  Springs,  coming  back  again  upon  the  Arkansas, 
striking  the  stream  above  its  great  canon.  Thence  they 
journeyed  on  to  the  head  waters  of  the  river.  Here 
they  left  the  Arkansas  River  and  took  a  direct  route 
for  the  Piney  River,  down  which  latter  stream  they 
traveled  to  a  spot  within  twenty-five  miles  of  its  mouth. 
From  this  place  they  continued  their  explorations  of 
the  country  to  the  head  of  White  River.  Following 
down  it,  they  soon  reached  the  mountains.  Crossing 
them,  they  proceeded  to  Prevost's  Fork. 

At  this  spot  a  desperate  fight  once  occurred  between 
a  party  of  trappers  and  a  band  of  hostile  Indians.  The 
trappers  were  commanded  by  a  man  whose  name  has 
ever  since  been  applied  to  the  stream.  Prevost, 
although  he   had  a  strong  party  and  fought  a  most 


244        EXPLORING  GREAT  SALT  LAKE. 

desperate  battle,  nevertheless  was  outnumbered,  out- 
generaled and  most  completely  overpowered.  The  In- 
dians succeeded  in  killing  the  entire  party,  including 
himself,  with  but  four  exceptions.  These  four  escaped 
only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  and  prudence.  Through 
them  the  particulars  of  the  affair  became  known  to  the 
mountaineers. 

Colonel  Fremont  (we  should  have  mentioned  before 
this  that  Fremont  had  been  promoted  in  the  corps  of 
Topographical  Engineers,  from  the  post  of  Lieutenant  to 
the  rank  of  Captain  by  brevet,)  now  examined  the  coun- 
try as  far  as  the  south  side  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  pass- 
ing on  his  route  a  smaller  body  of  water,  which,  for  many 
years,  has  been  known  as  Little  Utah  Lake.  The  com- 
mand halted  at  Great  Salt  Lake  a  few  days  to  recruit, 
preparatory  to  undertaking  the  further  exploration  of 
the  lake,  together  with  one  of  its  largest  islands,  which 
would  be  reached  by  this  southern  route.  The  Indians 
met  with  on  the  journey  informed  them  that  on  this 
island  there  was  plenty  of  fresh  water,  and  game  in 
abundance.  On  arriving  at  a  suitable  place,  Colonel 
Fremont  pitched  his  tents  for  the  main  camp.  On  the 
following  morning,  taking  Kit  Carson  and  a  few  chosen 
men,  Colonel  Fremont  started  to  explore  the  island.  The 
reports  of  the  Indians  were  proven  to  be  true.  In  addi- 
tion to  plenty  of  fresh  water  and  game,  they  discov- 
ered very  good  timber  growing  there.  The  game, 
which  proved  to  be  antelope,  was  so  abundant  that 
they  decided  to  kill  from  the  herds  a  quantity  suffi- 
cient for  future  use.  The  island  was  about  fifteen 
miles  in  length  by  about  five  in  breadth.  From  the 
main  land  to  the  island  they  were  able  to  ride  their 
horses,  as  the  water  was  not  deep.     Upon  the  banks 


CROSSING    THE    DESERT.  245 

of  the  lake  they  found  the  salt  deposit  to  vary  from 
the  thickness  of  a  wafer  to  the  depth  of  twelve  inches. 

Having  made  their  observations,  the  small  party  re- 
turned to  the  main  camp.  On  the  following  da}^  the 
journey  was  resumed,  the  route  leading  around  the 
south  side  of  the  lake,  until  they  reached  the  last  fresh 
water  to  be  found  in  that  direction.  Before  them  lay 
a  wide  and  unknown  desert,  over  which  no  white  man 
had  ever  passed.  Kit  Carson  had  been  at  this  spot 
several  times  in  previous  years,  and  had  often  heard 
the  oldest  trappers  speak  of  the  impossibility  of  cross- 
ing it  for  man  or  beast.  They  had  always  shrunk  from 
a  path  apparently  endless,  which  offered  appearances 
of  neither  grass  nor  water.  Colonel  Fremont  had  de- 
termined to  try  the  formidable  desert,  and,  if  possible, 
unfold  its  hidden  secrets.  His  men  were  equally  am- 
bitious with  himself,  and  were  ready  to  second  his 
efforts  without  fearing  the  trials  or  sufferings  which 
the  desert  route  might  exact. 

Colonel  Fremont  arranged  all  of  his  plans  commensu- 
rate with  the  hardships  in  expectancy.  Early  the  sub- 
sequent morning  he  dispatched  Kit  Carson,  Maxwell 
and  two  others  as  an  advance  party,  to  break  the  road 
and  look  for  a  camping  site.  With  his  telescope,  he 
then  ascended  a  neighboring  mountain  to  watch  the 
little  party  of  pioneers.  In  the  event  that  water  and 
grass  should  be  found,  Kit  Carson's  orders  were  to 
build  a  fire,  the  smoke  of  which  would  serve  as  a  sig- 
nal to  Fremont,  who  would  immediately  follow  up  their 
trail  with  the  whole  command. 

For  sixty  miles  Kit  Carson  with  his  little  party  trav- 
eled over  this  level,  barren  and  sandy  desert,  without 
coming  to  a  drop  of  water  or  a  blade  of  grass.     At  the 


246      SIXTY    MILES    WITHOUT   A   DROP    OF   WATER. 

end  of  this  distance  they  reached  the  mountains  on  the 
west  side  of  the  lake,  and  found  both  in  abundance. 
The  signal  of  smoke  was  now  made,  according  to  agree- 
ment. Even  at  this  long  distance  Fremont  discovered 
it,  and  immediately  set  his  party  in  motion.  Kit  Car- 
son sent  back  one  of  the  men  to  meet  the  main  body, 
and  guide  it  across  the  dreary  waste.  Before  the 
party  had  accomplished  more  than  half  the  distance  to 
Kit  Carson's  advance,  night  set  in,  forcing  the  whole 
party  to  encamp  without  water,  grass  or  fuel.  The 
camp  became  more  necessary  because  the  darkness  was 
so  great  that  they  could  not  follow  the  trail  in  a  night 
march.  Early  the  following  day  the  march  was  re- 
sumed, and  a  few  hours  served  once  more  to  reunite 
the  command.  They  had  the  misfortune,  however,  to 
lose  a  few  of  their  animals.  The  place  which  Kit  Car- 
son had  selected  for  the  camp  was,  to  the  weary  trav- 
elers, in  every  respect,  equal  to  an  oasis  on  the  Great 
Sahara.  There  is  no  one  thing  which  a  traveler  on 
the  plains  dreads  more  than  being  forced  to  camp  with- 
out water  and  grass. 

At  this  resting-place,  Colonel  Fremont,  in  order  to 
accomplish  as  much  as  possible,  divided  his  forces  into 
two  commands.  One  of  them  he  gave  into  the  charge 
of  Mr.  Talbot,  his  assistant,  and  appointed  for  his  guide 
a  mountaineer  named  Walker.  To  this  party  Colonel 
Fremont  gave  instructions  to  shape  their  course  for 
Mary's  River,  on  striking  which  they  were  to  follow 
down  the  stream  to  where  it  is  lost  in  the  Great  Basin. 
Colonel  Fremont  retained  with  him  fifteen  men  besides 
his  guide.  The  route  which  he  pursued  lay  in  the 
country  south  of  Mary's  River,  forming  a  large  tract 
of  land,  which  it  was  very  desirable  that  he  should  ex- 


AN   UNEXPECTED    SPECTRE.  247 

plore.  After  finishing  this,  he  was  to  join  Talbot  on 
the  lake  which  is  formed  by  the  widening  of  the  Carson 
River.  They  had  been  traveling  a  week,  during  which 
they  had  seen  human  beings  only  on  one  occasion,  and 
at  the  close  of  a  hard  day's  journey,  in  which  they  had 
failed  to  find  water,  had  turned  into  a  mountain,  where 
some  appearances  of  timber  and  grass  gave  promising 
indications  of  a  good  camp. 

They  followed  up  a  dry  stream  bed,  until  they  were 
nearly  two  thousand  feet  above  the  plain,  and  towards 
the  summit  of  the  mountain,  where  they  found  a  spring 
sufficiently  large  for  the  camp  wants,  with  grass  abun- 
dant, and  pine  wood  and  cedar  to  keep  up  the  night 
fires ;  for  it  was  November,  and  the  newly-fallen  snow 
already  marked  out  the  higher  ridges  of  the  mountains. 

They  were  surprised  to  see  tracks  of  a  naked  foot 
near  the  spring,  which  had  been  recently  cleaned  out, 
but  there  were  no  other  indications  of  human  life. 
Supper  was  over,  and  they  were  about  the  fire,  when 
Carson,  who  was  lying  on  his  back,  with  his  pipe  in  his 
mouth,  his  hands  under  his  head,  and  his  feet  to  the 
fire,  suddenly  exclaimed,  half  rising  and  pointing  to  the 
other  side  of  the  fire — "  Good  God  !  look  there  !  "  In 
the  blaze  of  the  fire,  peering  over  her  skinny,  crooked 
hand,  which  shaded  her  eyes  from  the  glare,  so  as  to 
enable  her  to  see  the  men,  was  standing  an  old  woman, 
apparently  eighty  years  of  age,  nearly  naked,  her 
grizzly  hair  hanging  down  over  her  face  and  shoulders. 
She  had  evidently  thought  it  a  camp  of  her  people,  and, 
in  the  grateful  warmth  of  the  fire,  had  already  begun 
to  talk  and  gesticulate,  when  her  open  mouth  was  sud- 
denly paralyzed  and  her  face  blanched  with  fright,  as 
she  saw  the  faces  of  the  whites. 


248  DESERTED    BY    HER    PEOPLE. 

With  a  natural  instinct  she  turned  to  escape,  but  the 
men  had  gathered  around  her,  and  she  made  them  com- 
prehend that  she  had  been  brought  there  and  left  by 
her  people  ;  that  she  was  very  old  and  could  gather  no 
more  seeds,  and  was  no  longer  good  for  anything,  and 
that  she  was  going  to  die  when  the  snows  got  deep. 

She  was  greatly  alarmed  and  eager  to  get  awa}',  but, 
as  the  hunters  had  been  successful  that  day,  she  was 
plentifully  supplied  with  the  meat  of  mountain  sheep, 
which  she  ran  off  with  as  soon  as  it  was  given  her.  She 
had  not  gone  twenty  steps  before  it  was  remembered 
that  she  had  no  fire  and  probably  no  means  of  making 
one  ;  and  one  of  the  men,  seizing  a  brand,  ran  after 
her,  but  to  no  purpose ;  she  had  dodged  down  into  the 
brush,  and  in  the  darkness  could  not  be  found. 

The  country  through  which  Colonel  Fremont  traveled 
he  found  to  be  well  furnished  with  grass,  water,  and 
wood.  It  is  highly  picturesque  ;  but,  as  its  character- 
istics are  so  vividly  painted  in  his  reports,  it  is  super- 
fluous to  add  our  attempt  to  the  same  task.  Having 
arrived  at  the  lake  already  mentioned,  he  there  awaited 
the  arrival  of  Talbot.  It  was  many  days  before  the 
command  was  again  united.  They,  however,  remained 
together  only  one  night.  Early  the  following  morning 
they  separated  once  more.  This  time,  Talbot's  instruc- 
tions were,  to  find  a  certain  pass  which  would  bring 
him  out  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Moun- 
tains, which  he  was  to  cross,  and  then  keep  on  his 
course  for  the  waters  of  the  San  Joaquin.  Fremont, 
with  his  division,  journeyed  up  the  Carson  River,  and, 
after  traversing  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  he  arrived 
safe  at  Sutter's  Fort,  without  meeting  with  any  inci- 
dents  that  were   not  to  be   expected   on  such  a  trip. 


TERRIBLE    TRIALS    AND    SERIOUS    LOSSES.  249 

Captain  Sutter,  with  his  usual  urbanity  of  manner, 
kindly  received  them,  and  supplied  their  wants.  Of 
him,  Fremont  purchased  forty  head  of  cattle  and  a  few 
horses,  with  which  he  set  out  to  look  for  Mr.  Talbot. 
In  doing  so,  he  traveled  up  the  valley  of  the  San 
Joaquin,  and  forded  that  river  at  about  where  it  is 
ushered  forth  from  the  mountains.  Mr.  Talbot  was 
not  to  be  found  in  this  direction,  so  the  party  went  to 
Kings  River,  and  journeyed  up  it  to  its  head  waters. 
It  now  happened  that  the  cattle  belonging  to  the  party 
began  to  grow  foot-sore  and  weary,  from  travel  over 
rocky  trails  and  through  deep  snows.  It  became  evi- 
dent that  the  looked-for  men  were  not  in  that  quarter  ; 
therefore,  Fremont  returned  to  the  prairies  near  by,  in 
the  hopes  of  saving  his  cattle ;  but,  when  he  arrived 
there,  he  was  destitute  of  these  animals,  for  they  had 
all  given  out  and  died.  The  party  had,  previous  to  this 
misfortune,  killed  some  of  the  best  of  the  oxen,  and 
prepared  the  meat  to  carry  along  with  them,  but  in  no 
great  quantities,  as  their  riding  animals  were  not 
strong  enough  to  bear  heavy  burdens.  The  command 
had  hardly  left  the  mountains  and  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  prairies,  before  they  were  obliged  to  submit  to 
further  trials  and  losses.  After  going  into  camp  one 
night,  the  men,  tired  and  worn  out  by  much  labor,  had 
lain  down  to  rest.  As  a  guard  had  been  posted  they 
gave  themselves  but  little  concern  about  danger.  Their 
sentinels  were  not  on  the  lookout  as  sharply  as  they 
might  have  been.  The  consequence  was,  that  some 
hostile  Indians  crept  within  their  lines  and  killed  two 
mules,  which  depredation  was  not  discovered  until  the 
next  morning. 

Fremont  had  no  animals  remaining  in  condition  to 


250  EATING   WILD    HORSES. 

give  chase,  and  therefore  had  quietly  to  submit  to  his 
loss.  He  now  resolved  to  give  up  for  the  time  being 
his  search  for  Talbot's  party,  and  return  to  Sutter's 
Fort,  where  he  could  reorganize.  While  on  their  road 
to  the  Fort,  the  men  came  suddenly  upon  a  band  of 
the  same  Indians  who  had  recently  annoyed  them. 
These  fellows  seemed  to  invite  an  engagement,  and 
were  gratified  by  Col.  Fremont.  In  the  skirmish  that 
ensued  they  lost  five  warriors  killed.  The  rest  fled. 
The  party,  after  undergoing  many  hardships,  finally 
reached  their  point  of  destination.  During  the  latter 
part  of  this  tramp,  game  had  become  so  scarce  that  the 
men  had  to  shoot  whatever  came  in  their  way.  This 
time  it  chanced  to  be  wild  horses.  When  they  arrived 
at  the  Fort  they  were  on  foot,  their  saddle  and  pack 
animals  having  all  given  out  and  broken  down.  By 
the  kind  assistance  of  Mr.  Sutter  they  were  furnished 
anew.  After  recruiting  a  little  their  own  worn-out 
bodies,  they  started  on  their  second  trip  in  quest  of 
their  companions.  They  traversed  the  coast-iange 
and  went  to  San  Jose  to  see  if  they  could  hear  any- 
thing through  the  Mexicans  and  Indians  who  resided 
there,  concerning  the  whereabouts  of  the  missing  men; 
as  perchance,  some  of  the  hunters  or  traders  among 
these  people  might  in  their  travels  have  met  or  heard 
something  of  them.  On  making  inquiries  at  San  Jose, 
they  were  informed  that  the  party  was  encamped  at  a 
well-known  place  on  the  San  Joaquin.  This  piece  of 
intelligence  immediately  decided  Fremont  to  dispatch 
Carson  and  two  companions  to  that  section  of  country, 
while  he  and  the  remainder  of  the  men  would  remain 
where  they  were  and  await  his  return.  Kit  Carson 
performed  his  mission  with  his  usual  promptness  and 


ORDERED  TO  LEAVE  TTIE  COUNTRY.       251 

soon  returned  with  his  charge,  when  the  expedition 
was  once  more  united  under  one  leader.  Owing  to 
the  great  trials  and  privations  recently  met  with,  and 
the  inability  to  procure  at  Sutter's  Fort  all  that  was 
wanted  in  the  matter  of  an  outfit,  therefore  it  was  de- 
termined upon  that  the  party  should  proceed  next  to 
Monterey,  wThere  they  knew  they  could  purchase  the 
articles  that  wrere  actually  required.  While  en  route, 
and  when  within  thirty  miles  of  this  last-named  town, 
an  impertinent  order  was  received  from  General  Castro, 
the  Mexican  commander  of  the  territory.  The  purport 
of  this  order  was,  that  Fremont  and  his  party  must  im- 
mediately vacate  the  country  without  further  notice, 
or  else  the  gallant  general  would  be  obliged  to  drive 
them  out.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  mes- 
senger with  this  document  arrived  in  Fremont's  camp, 
yet  he  found  time  the  same  day  to  pack  up  and  fall 
back  to  a  place  where  he  could  fortify  his  position,  as 
he  felt  confident  that  this  was  but  an  empty  excuse 
which  the  Mexican  general  had  invented  to  prevent 
him  from  penetrating  further  into  the  country.  The 
Americans  had  hardly  got  things  in  proper  trim  be- 
fore the  Mexican  general,  at  the  head  of  several 
hundred  troops,  arrived  and  established  his  camp  and 
head-quarters  within  sight  of  the  former,  being  deluded 
with  the  belief  that  he  would  easily  intimidate  the  ex- 
ploring party.  The  general  commenced  firing  his  can- 
non and  making  a  great  uproar.  He  had  all  branches 
of  the  service  writh  him,  including  artillery,  infantry  and 
cavalry.  In  the  intention  of  intimidation,  however,  he 
was  greatly  mistaken,  though  the  difference  in  num- 
bers between  the  two  parties  was  in  itself  almost  deci- 
sive, should  they  come  to  a  conflict.     Yet  the  Mexicans 


252  NOT   EASILY    INTIMIDATED. 

had  but  poorly  estimated  the  mettle  contained  in  the 
American  commander  and  his  forty  men.  They  were 
ready,  one  and  all,  to  sell  their  lives  dearly  in  a  cause 
good  as  that  before  them.  Unshaken  in  their  purpose, 
the  little  band  of  intrepid  men  remained  in  their  camp 
for  the  period  of  three  clays.  The  Americans  who 
were  then  living  at  Monterey,  sent  several  expressmen 
to  their  countrymen,  warning  them  of  their  danger,  as 
they  felt  that  the  Mexicans  could,  without  a  doubt, 
completely  annihilate  them.  Fremont's  reply  wras  per- 
fectly characteristic  of  the  man ;  he  said  he  had  done 
nothing  to  raise  the  wrath  of  the  Mexicans,  who  were 
now  treating  him  disgracefully.  He  had  come  to  per- 
form a  duty,  and  could  not  leave  without  executing  it. 
In  fact,  neither  himself  nor  his  men  would  submit  to 
be  driven  out  of  the  country.  At  the  end  of  three  days, 
Fremont  saw  that  there  was  no  prospect  of  General 
Castro's  consummating  his  threat,  and,  considering  that 
he  had  sufficiently  shown  his  willingness  to  fight  if 
driven  to  it,  he  therefore  concluded  to  strike  his  camp 
and  withdraw  to  the  Sacramento  River.  The  party 
were  not  disturbed  in  their  movements,  and  on  reach- 
ing this  stream,  they  followed  it  up  until  they  came  to 
Peter  Lawson's  Trading  Post,  where  Fremont  intended, 
since  he  could  not  go  to  Monterey  without  being  too 
rash,  to  purchase  the  outfit  for  the  homeward-bound 
trip.  The  party  remained  at  this  post  some  ten  days, 
during  which  time  some  American  settlers  in  the  neigh- 
borhood came  in  with  the  information  that  one  thou- 
sand Indian  warriors  were  collecting  for  the  avowed 
purpose  of  destroying  their  ranches,  probably  at  the 
instigation  of  the  Mexicans.  The  exploring  party,  and 
also  five  white  men  from  the  Post,  proffered  their  ser- 


ATTACK    ON    ONE    THOUSAND      INDIANS.  255 

vices  to  go  to  the  aid  of  their  countrymen,  and  shortly 
afterwards  the  whole  command  under  Fremont  moved 
forward  to  meet  and  measure  their  strength  with  the 
savages.  The  village  of  the  Indians  was  in  due  time 
found,  when  the  whites  commenced  the  fight  by  mak- 
ing an  attack  on  it.  The  battle  was  for  awhile  stoutly 
contested  ;  but  finally  the  red  men  were  completely 
routed.  The  number  of  the  killed  it  was  difficult  to 
ascertain ;  but  Carson  was  of  the  opinion  that  this  fight 
had  the  tendency  of  fixing  on  the  minds  of  this  tribe 
the  truth  of  their  inability  to  cope  with  white  men,  the 
convincing  evidence  of  which  was  that  the  battle- 
ground was  strewn  with  their  dead.  Having  more 
than  accomplished  his  chastisement  of  the  Indians, 
Fremont  with  his  party  returned  to  Lawson's. 

On  finishing  his  purchases  at  this  post,  whose  occu- 
pants had  done  their  utmost  to  supply  his  wants  and 
make  his  stay  agreeable,  the  explorer  once  more  set  his 
command  in  motion  en  route  for  the  Columbia  River. 
He  traveled  up  the  Sacramento  and  passed  near  Mount 
Shatta,  that  snow-capped  sentinel  of  the  rich  Sacra- 
mento Valley,  raising  its  head  14,443  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  thence  on  to  Klamath  Lake,  since 
made  famous  by  the  treachery  of  a  handful  of  Califor- 
nia Indians  of  the  Modoc  tribe,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
further  on.  While  encamped  on  the  head  of  this  col- 
lection of  water,  news  came  to  the  party  that  war  had 
been  declared  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 
This  intelligence  had  been  sent  to  Fremont  through 
Lieutenant  Gillespie,  of  the  United  States  marines, 
who  had  with  him  six  men  as  an  escort.  After  travel- 
ing three  hundred  miles  over  bad  trails  at  a  rapid  pace, 
his  animals  began  to  succumb  to  fatigue.     The  lieuten- 

15 


256  WAR    WITH    MEXICO. 

ant  saw  he  would  fail  to  accomplish  his  ends  with  the 
whole  party  together,  therefore  he  selected  two  of  his 
most  reliable  men,  mounted  them  on  his  fleetest  horses, 
and  sent  them  on  ahead  to  bear  the  dispatches,  while 
he  himself  would  jog  on  slowly.  The  expressmen 
overhauled  the  exploring  party  after  several  days  of 
hard  travel  and  handed  to  Fremont  the  communications. 
As  soon  as  he  had  read  his  letters,  Fremont  made  in- 
quiries in  regard  to  Gillespie,  and  found  that  he  was  in 
rather  a  precarious  position ;  for,  should  the  Klamath 
Indians  take  the  notion,  they  would  murder  him  and 
his  men  just  by  the  way  of  pastime.  Fremont  at  once 
determined  to  return  with  all  haste  and  succor  Gil- 
lespie from  the  imminent  peril  that  surrounded  him. 
With  this  purpose  in  view,  he  selected  ten  picked  men, 
leaving  orders  for  the  rest  of  the  party  to  follow  on  his 
trail,  and  set  out.  He  had  traveled  about  sixty  miles 
when  he  met  the  officer  he  was  in  search  of  coming  on. 
The  meeting  was  very  gratifying  to  both,  but  espe- 
cially so  to  Fremont,  who  was  fully  alive  to  the  dangers 
through  which  Gillespie  had  passed  ;  for  the  lieutenant 
was  not  sufficiently  aware  how  black-hearted  in  their 
villainy  and  treachery  this  tribe,  through  whose  coun- 
try he  was  passing,  were,  as  he  had  heretofore  never 
dealt  with  them.  A  camp  was  selected  near  by,  and 
all  hands  were  not  long  in  being  snugly  seated  in  it 
around  a  good  fire,  listening  to  the  important  news 
fresh  from  the  civilized  world. 

Fremont  sat  up  until  about  one  o'clock  reading  his 
letters  from  the  United  States.  Kit  Carson  and  Owens, 
wrapped  in  their  saddle-blankets,  had  picked  out  their 
beds  near  the  fire,  as  the  night  was  cold.  On  conclud- 
ing the  reading  of  his  correspondence,  Fremont  turned 


MASSACRED    BY    KLAMATH    INDIANS.  257 

in  and  was  soon  sound  asleep.  All  was  quiet  for 
awhile,  when  Kit  Carson  heard  a  noise  that  awaked 
him ;  the  sound  was  like  the  stroke  of  an  axe.  Rising 
to  his  feet,  he  discovered  Indians  in  the  camp.  While 
in  the  act  of  reaching  for  his  rifle,  he  gave  the  alarm 
to  his  slumbering  companions  ;  but  two  of  them  were 
already  sleeping  their  last  sleep,  for  the  fatal  toma- 
hawk had  been  buried  in  their  brains.  One  of  these 
victims  was  the  brave  Lajeunesse,  while  the  other  was 
a  full-blooded  Delaware  Indian.  As  Kit  Carson  left  the 
fire,  where  he  was  too  conspicuous  an  object,  he  saw 
several  warriors  approaching  towards  it.  There  lay 
near  to  it  four  other  Delawares,  who,  on  hearing  the 
alarm,  sprang  to  their  feet.  One  of  them,  by  the  name 
of  Crane,  seized  hold  of  a  rifle,  which,  unfortunately, 
was  not  his  own,  and  was  not  loaded.  The  poor  fellow 
was  not  aware  of  this  important  fact.  He  kept  trying 
to  fire  it  while  he  stood  erect,  and  manfully  received 
five  arrows,  all  of  which  penetrated  his  left  breast,  and 
either  one  of  which  was  sufficient  to  cause  his  death. 
At  last  he  fell.  On  grasping  his  gun,  Kit  Carson  re- 
membered that  the  evening  before  he  had  discharged 
it  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning  it,  and  while  so  doing  had 
accidentally  broken  its  cap-tube,  and  consequently  he 
had  not  reloaded  it.  As  this  flashed  across  his  mind, 
he  threw  the  rifle  down  and  drew  from  his  belt  a  single- 
barreled  pistol,  with  which  he  made  at  the  warrior 
who  was  so  safely  throwing  his  arrows  into  his  com- 
panion. When  sufficiently  near,  Kit  Carson  fired,  but, 
as  the  fellow  kept  dodging  about,  he  only  succeeded  in 
cutting  the  string  that  held  the  tomahawk  to  its  red 
owner's  arm.  Maxwell  now  shot  at  this  same  brave 
and  hit  him  in  the  fleshy  part  of  one  leg  ;  and,  as  he 


258  THREE  BRAVE  MEN  KILLED 

was  turning  to  run,  which  was  the  case  with  most  of 
the  Indians  by  this  time,  a  bullet  from  the  rifle  of  a 
mountaineer  passed  through  his  heart  and  arrested  his 
progress.  The  whites  were  now  fully  awakened  to 
their  danger,  and  about  ready  to  commence  the  fight, 
but  the  enemy  had  scattered.  If  all  the  savages  had 
shown  the  same  quickness  and  coolness  as  did  their 
foremost  warrior,  the  probability  is  that  the  most,  if  not 
the  whole  of  the  party,  would  have  been  massacred. 
As  it  was,  the  attack  was  well  planned  but  poorly 
carried  out. 

The  result  of  the  affair  was,  that  Fremont  lost  three 
brave  men,  and  had  one  other  wounded  slightly.  It 
now  became  evident  that  the  party  had  fallen  into  a 
snare  which  was  intended  for  Lieutenant  Gillespie  and 
his  small  force,  but  the  coming  up  of  Fremont  had 
caused  the  assassins  to  find  they  had  caught  a  Tartar. 

Fremont  and  his  party  apprehended  no  danger  that 
night ;  consequently,  they  did  not  post  a  guard,  and  as 
the  men  were  very  tired  they  slept  very  soundly.  Be- 
fore lying  down,  several  of  them  had  fired  off  their 
rifles,  and,  after  cleaning  them,  they  had  neglected  to 
reload  them.  This  was  the  first  and  last  time  they  were 
guilty  of  such  a  mistake  while  in  an  Indian  country. 

Of  the  three  men  killed,  the  one  by  the  name  of 
Lajeunesse  was  the  most  regretted,  for  he  had  been 
with  Fremont  on  his  previous  expeditions,  and  had 
won  the  admiration  and  confidence  of  his  commander 
and  companions.  In  a  small  company  of  men,  such  as 
these  expeditions  were  composed  of,  where  every 
member  becomes  intimately  known  and  admired  by  his 
companions,  the  loss  of  one  would  be  greatly  felt ;  but, 
when  three  such  were  thus  suddenly  taken,  it  caused 


SAVING    LIFE    BY    DEATH.  259 

a  gloom  to  be  cast  over  the  remainder,  not  easily  to  be 
dispelled.  The  only  consolation  left  to  the  living  was, 
that  they  had  been  instrumental  in  saving  Lieutenant 
Gillespie  and  his  four  companions ;  therefore,  in  sacri- 
ficing their  comrades,  they  had  saved  more  lives  than 
had  been  lost. 

There  were  no  more  thoughts  of  sleep  in  this  camp 
for  that  eventful  night ;  but  instead,  the  men  selected 
positions  behind  neighboring  trees  and  fallen  logs,  and 
were  ready  to  receive  the  enemy  should  they  see  fit  to 
visit  them  again. 

The  Indians,  however,  as  Kit  Carson  predicted,  had 
come  to  the  wise  conclusion  not  to  attempt  so  unsatis- 
factory a  business  as  another  attack,  for  the  gray  light 
of  the  following  day  came  without  their  re-appearance. 
Before  the  sun  had  fairly  risen,  Fremont  had  broken 
up  this  camp,  which  had  become  odious  to  the  men 
from  its  unpleasant  associations.  With  their  packs, 
and  with  the  bodies  of  their  dead  companions,  the 
party  started  to  find  their  rear  guard.  They  had  pro- 
ceeded about  ten  miles  on  their  journey,  when,  by 
unanimous  consent,  they  resolved  to  halt  and  inter  the 
remains,  which  they  had  wished  to  carry  until  they 
united  their  forces,  so  that  all  could  participate  in  the 
funeral  rites ;  but,  the  woods  through  which  they  were 
traveling  were  very  thick,  and  already  the  bodies  had 
become  greatly  disfigured,  on  account  of  their  fre- 
quently striking  against  the  trees,  as  they  were  fas- 
tened on  the  backs  of  three  animals. 

Slowly  and  sadly,  in  that  dense  forest,  hundreds  of 
miles  from  their  nearest  countrymen,  was  this  funeral 
procession  formed.  A  spot  was  selected  on  one  side  of 
the  main  trail,  at  a  distance  of  about  one-half  mile, 


260  A    SAD    FUNERAL    PROCESSION. 

where  a  rude  grave  was  dug,  and,  wrapped  in  their 
blankets,  in  the  same  common  house,  were  deposited 
all  that  remained  of  these  three  brave  men.  An 
observer  of  these  obsequies  would  have  seen  the  lips 
of  daring  men,  now  and  then,  giving  spasmodic  twiteh- 
ings ;  eyes  swimming  in  tears,  and  a  silence  and  solem- 
nity that  bespoke  the  truest  kind  of  grief.  Among  that 
party,  such  a  one  would  have  been  sure  to  have  marked 
out  the  countenance  of  Kit  Carson;  for,  engraven  on  it 
were  the  throes  which  were  troubling  his  kind  heart  on 
being  thus  obliged  to  separate  from  old  friends.  Not  a 
man  left  that  grave  but  who  resolved,  secretly  and 
silently,  to  make  these  dastardly  Indians  suffer  for  the 
lives  they  had  thus  wantonly  taken.  In  fact,  they  felt 
it  an  imperative  duty  they  yet  owed  to  their  departed 
comrades,  who,  if  they  but  stood  in  their  places,  would 
have  sworn  to  be  avenged ;  hence,  the  reader  must  not 
judge  them  harshly  if  they  nourished  these  feelings. 

That  very  day  the  two  parties  met  and  went  into 
camp  together.  Plans  were  concocted  to  chastise  the 
red  men  soundly.  The  next  day,  on  quitting  this  last 
resting-place,  a  squad  of  fifteen  men  was  left  concealed 
in  the  neighborhood,  in  order  to  watch  and  act  against 
any  Indians  who,  by  chance,  might  be  following  them 
from  one  camp  to  another,  in  hopes  of  finding  some- 
thing. The  main  command  then  moved  on  slowly,  and 
had  advanced  but  a  few  miles  when  they  were  over- 
taken by  their  friends,  who  came  up  with  two  scalps. 
These  were  the  sum  total  of  their  morning's  work. 
The  two  warriors  to  whom  they  had  belonged  were 
caught  following  the  trail  as  scouts  of  their  main  body. 
The  unerring  rifles  of  the  party  in  ambush  had  per- 
formed their  fearful  duty. 


£N    ROUTE   FOE    CALIFORNIA.  261 


CHAPTER  X. 


Fremont  en  route  for  California — His  men  are  anxious  to  Punish  the  Kla- 
math  Indians — Kit  Carson,  in  command  of  Ten  Men,  is  sent  on  ahead 
to  reconnoitre — He  discovers  the  main  Village  of  these  Indians — The 
Attack  and  the  Victory — Beautiful  Lodges — The  Trophies  mostly  de- 
stroyed— Fremont  saves  Kit  Carson's  Life — The  Journey  resumed— 
The  Sacramento  Valley — An  Indian  Ambuscade — One  Savage  defies 
the  Party — Kit  Carson  shoots  him — The  Klamath  Indians  still  on  the 
War  Path — Another  Lesson  given  to  them — A  Thief  is  shot — Arrival 
at  Lawson's  Trading  Post — A  period  of  Inactivity — A  Detachment 
sent  to  capture  Sonoma — Prisoners  taken — The  Mexicans  come  to 
punish  the  Americans — Their  Courage  deserts  them — The  Retreat — 
The  Pursuit — Fremont  goes  to  Sutter's  Fort  and  establishes  a  Military 
Post — Monterey  is  taken  by  the  American  Squadron — Fremont 
marches  there — Further  Operations — The  Taking  of  Los  Angelos. 


The  news  of  war  having  been  declared  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico,  determined  Fremont  to  re- 
turn to  California;  and,  in  doing  so,  he  decided  to 
enter  that  country  by  a  new  route  of  his  own  selection. 

He  commenced  his  journey  by  traveling  around  Lake 
Klamath,  and  had  not  proceeded  far  in  that  direction 
before  he  found  himself  encamped  on  a  small  stream 
which  empties  into  the  lake,  nearly  opposite  to  the 
place  where  his  three  men  were  killed.  The  distance 
of  each  day's  progress  had  been  carefully  reckoned  and 
noted  by  the  party.  Upon  their  minds  there  was  still 
resting  a  sadness,  which  their  leader  saw  was  only  to  be 
effaced  by  a  satisfactory  revenge,  and  that  they  were 
eager  to  obtain  it  before  quitting  the  country.  Perhaps, 


262  FIGHT    WITH    KLAMATH    INDIANS. 

also,  their  commanding  officer  thought  it  best,  while 
the  opportunity  offered,  for  the  benefit  of  his  country- 
men, whom  he  felt  sure  w^ould  some  day  possess  this 
territory,  to  impress  these  savages  with  the  power  and 
bravery  of  the  white  men.  Whatever  was  the  object 
to  be  gained,  it  matters  not  in  relating  the  particulars. 
The  next  morning  he  sent  Kit  Carson  on  ahead,  with 
ten  chosen  men,  giving  him  orders  to  the  effect  that  if 
he  discovered  a  large  village  of  Indians,  which  was  the 
general  surmise,  without  being  himself  seen,  he  was  to 
send  back  word,  when  he  (Fremont)  would  hasten  on 
with  re-inforcements,  in  order  to  make  the  assault.  If  it 
should  happen  that  the  Indians  were  the  first  to  be  ap- 
prised of  his  near  approach,  then,  without  delay,  Carson 
was  to  engage  them  as  he  thought  best.  Acting  under 
these  instructions,  Kit  Carson,  with  his  detail  of  men, 
set  out,  and  fortunately  soon  found  a  fresh  trail  that 
led  directly  to  where  the  savages  had  established  their 
village.  This  Indian  village  numbered  fifty  lodges; 
and  to  each  wTigwam  the  mountaineers  estimated  three 
braves,  as  this  is  the  complement  of  men  who  live  in 
one  of  these  huts  on  the  prairies  and  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  thus  making  the  force  of  the  Indians  to  be 
in  the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  and  fifty.  From  the 
commotion  noticed  in  the  village  it  was  evident  to  all 
present  that  the  tribe  had  become  aware  of  danger,  and 
that  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost  in  sending  back  the 
desired  information.  Kit  Carson,  notwithstanding  the 
strength  of  his  enemies,  determined  to  hazard  an  attack; 
and,  after  a  brief  consultation  with  his  companions,  he 
decided  to  take  advantage  of  the  confusion  that  was  ex- 
isting among  the  red  men  by  charging  right  in  among 
them.     If  ever  there  is  a  time  when  Indians  will  stand 


BEAUTIFUL    LODGES.  263 

their  ground,  it  is  when  defending  their  families;  there- 
fore, on  this  occasion,  the  white  men  were  warmly  re- 
ceived, but  they  fought  with  such  a  degree  of  despera- 
tion as  they  themselves  had  never  done  before.  The 
result  was,  that  the  savages  became  panic-stricken,  and 
soon  afterwards  fled,  leaving  everything  they  possessed 
behind  them.  The  victors,  after  pursuing  the  Indians 
for  some  distance,  and  adding  a  few  more  to  the  list  of 
killed,  returned  to  the  village,  which  they  found  to  be 
rich  in  booty.  The  lodges  here  taken  Kit  Carson  de- 
scribes as  being  the  most  tasty  pieces  of  handiwork  that 
Indian  skill  could  devise,  and  surpassed  anything  of  the 
kind  that  he  bad  previously  looked  upon.  They  were 
made  of  the  broad  leaves  of  the  swamp  flag,  which  were 
beautifully  and  intricately  woven  together.  Within  the 
wigwams  the  party  found  a  very  large  amount  of  fish, 
in  different  stages  of  preservation  for  future  use.  Wish- 
ing to  do  these  people  as  much  harm  as  possible,  and 
thus  be  even  with  them  for  their  recent  savage  cruel- 
ties on  their  own  party,  Kit  Carson  gave  the  order  to 
collect  everything  in  the  lodges  and  arrange  the  arti- 
cles in  such  manner  that  fire  would  either  destroy 
or  completely  damage  them.  Having  accomplished 
this  work,  the  lighted  tinder  was  applied,  when  the 
flames  leaped  high  up  in  the  air,  forming  a  fit  funeral 
pyre  for  their  slain  companions.  Fremont  saw  the  re- 
flection of  the  fire,  and  also  the  smoke,  and  at  once 
knew  that  Kit  Carson  was  engaged  with  the  Indians ; 
consequently,  he  pushed  on  at  a  very  rapid  pace  to 
assist  him.  He  arrived  too  late  for  what  the  men 
called  the  sport,  but,  instead,  heard  the  report  of  his 
lieutenant  and  guide,  Kit  Carson,  whose  words,  to  use 
his  (Fremont's)  own  language,  "  are  synonymous  with 


264  WATCHING   IN    THE    LAVA -BEDS. 

truth."  The  gloom  which  had  prevailed  over  the 
party,  while  the  men  recounted  to  their  friends  the 
details  of  the  fight,  was  temporarily  dispelled  ;  and, 
while  thus  engaged,  the  command  moved  on  about 
two  miles  from  the  Indian  village.  Having  here 
selected  a  site,  they  went  into  camp.  After  comfort- 
ably stowing  themselves  away  in  this  resting-place, 
another  "  war  talk  "  was  called,  and  what  was  best  to 
be  done  was  canvassed  over  After  the  adjournment 
of  the  council,  Fremont  decided  to  send  back  twenty 
men,  under  Richard  Owens,  to  the  neighborhood  of 
the  ruins  of  the  village,  there  to  conceal  themselves  in 
the  Lava-beds  and  await  the  return  of  the  Indians, 
who,  it  was  thought,  might  come  back  to  look  after 
their  dead. 

The  Lava-beds  are  located  in  the  country  along  the 
boundaries  of  Oregon  and  California,  and  near  the 
Klamath  River  and  Lakes.  It  is  cut  up  by  fissures, 
abysses,  lakes,  high  mountains  and  caves,  and  covers 
an  area  of  one  hundred  square  miles.  Here  and  there 
are  vales  bounded  by  walls  more  than  one  thousand 
feet  high,  composed  of  dark  lava-like  trap  or  red  scoria, 
the  interval  between  which  forms  a  sort  of  congealed 
sea,  whose  ragged,  crested  waves,  with  volcanic  ori- 
fices, seem  to  have  been  frozen  in  the  upheaval,  and 
never  had  time  to  subside.  The  miniature  vents  or 
chimneys,  wrhich  had  been  formed  no  doubt  by  the 
bursting  of  steam  or  gases  from  below,  led  to  subter- 
ranean galleries  or  caverns,  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
wide  and  of  indefinite  length. 

Our  party  had  not  been  secreted  a  great  while  be- 
fore about  fifty  savages  returned,  and,  by  the  moon's 
light,   were   quite   visible.      As    had  been    previously 


FREMONT    SAVES    CARSON'S    LIFE.  267 

agreed  upon,  word  was  sent  by  a  trusty  messenger  to 
Fremont,  who,  with  six  companions,  Kit  Carson  being 
of  the  number,  hastened  on  horseback  to  join  his  out- 
post. For  fear  of  being  discovered,  Fremont  chose  a 
different  route  from  the  one  taken  by  Owens,  which 
was  quite  direct,  while  that  of  the  former  was  circuit- 
ous. On  approaching  the  smouldering  remains  of  the 
village,  Kit  Carson  discovered  only  one  Indian  wander- 
ing about  on  the  ground.  As  soon  almost  as  he  was 
seen  by  the  party,  they  made  a  dash  at  him.  Kit  Carson 
was  in  the  advance,  and  on  arriving  within  about  ten 
feet  of  the  warrior,  he  drew  up  his  horse  and  brought 
his  rifle  to  his  shoulder  to  fire,  but  the  gun  only  snapped, 
and  left  its  owner  in  a  very  precarious  situation,  as 
the  red  man  had  already  drawn  the  string  of  his 
bow  to  plant  an  arrow  in  the  body  of  his  adversary.  A 
moment  more,  and,  in  all  probability,  Kit  Carson  would 
have  been  breathing  his  last.  Fremont  saw  the  danger 
his  friend  was  in,  although  Kit  had  tried  to  avoid  the  ar- 
row by  throwing  himself  on  one  side  of  his  horse.  With 
much  forethought,  as  well  as  personal  exposure,  he 
plunged  the  rowels  of  his  spurs  deep  into  his  riding  ani- 
mal. The  noble  horse,  obeying  the  impetus  thus  given 
by  his  rider,  made  a  few  extra  strides,  until  he  reached, 
knocked  down  and  passed  over  the  Indian,  thereby 
causing  his  arrow  to  fly  in  a  different  direction  from 
the  one  intended.  Before  the  savage  could  regain  his 
feet,  a  ball  from  one  of  the  rifles  belonging  to  the  party 
had  sent  him  to  his  last  resting-place.  Fremont  now 
learned  from  Owens,  that  while  the  messenger  was 
absent,  the  rest  of  the  Indians  had  decamped,  and  as 
he  had  received  orders  from  him  to  await  his  coming  in 
case  he  found  the  enemy,  therefore,  he  was  obliged  to 


268  A   BELOVED    COMMANDER. 

let  the  rascals  quietly  depart  without  firing  into  them, 
which  was  much  to  his  own  and  his  men's  displeasure. 

It  was  now  necessary -to  return  without  delay  to  their 
own  camp,  and  thus  anticipate  the  movements  of  the 
Indians,  as  they  might  conclude  to  make  an  attack  in 
that  quarter  ;  but,  on  arriving  there,  they  found  every- 
thing safe;  nor  were  they, during  that  night,  in  any  way 
disturbed.  Kit  Carson  was  very  grateful  to  Fremont  for 
thus  interposing  between  him  and  almost  certain  death  ; 
for  it  would  have  been  the  work  of  an  instant  for  the 
Indian  warrior,  at  ten  feet  distance,  to  have  sent  an  ar- 
row into  some  vital  organ.  It  was  such  noble  gener- 
osity, bravery,  and  disinterested  exposure  in  the  hour 
of  peril,  in  order  to  serve  his  men,  that  strongly 
cemented  Fremont  to  them.  Indeed,  in  all  of  his  ex- 
peditions, he  had  such  command  over  his  employees, 
that  little  or  no  trouble  ever  occurred  among  them 
while  on  their  marches,  although  they  had  privations 
and  dangers  to  undergo  that  would  often  try  men  of 
the  most  even  temper. 

On  the  day  following  the  one  on  which  his  party  had 
encountered  and  chastised  the  Klamath  Indians,  Fre- 
mont started  for  the  Valley  of  the  Sacramento.  The 
expedition  was  progressing  well,  and  was  four  days  out 
from  this  last  camp ;  when,  as  two  of  the  men  whose 
names  were  Maxwell  and  Archambeau,  were  out  hunt- 
ing at  a  distance  of  about  three  miles,  on  one  side  of 
their  friends,  they  were  surprised  at  seeing  one  Indian, 
on  foot,  approaching  towards  them. 

The  hunters,  in  order  to  do  away  with  all  suspicion, 
at  once  halted  and  laid  down  their  arms,  to  show  the 
warrior  that  they  were  friendly  disposed.  They 
thought  it  was  best  to  have  a  "talk"  with  him,  and 


LOST    HIS    SCALP    BY    INDISCRETION.  269 

question  him  in  regard  to  the  country  they  were  then  in. 
As  he  showed  no  symptoms  of  fear,  but  kept  coming  on, 
they  supposed  that  he  had  understood  their  actions ; 
therefore,  they  paid  but  little  attention  to  him,  until 
they  saw  him  stop.  Their  curiosity  was  now  excited 
to  know  his  intentions ;  and,  as  they  watched  his  move- 
ments, they  saw  him  take  some  young  crows  from  his 
quiver,  and,  after  untying  the  string  that  held  them,  he 
concealed  them  to  his  satisfaction  in  the  grass,  and 
again  moved  forward ;  but,  while  doing  so,  he  was  busy 
arranging  his  weapons  for  immediate  use.  The  white 
men  were  not  astonished  at  this,  for  they  concluded 
that  he  was  only  preparing  himself  against  danger. 
The  Indian  slowly  advanced  to  a  spot  that  was  within 
fifteen  yards  of  the  hunters,  when  he  again  stopped, 
and  commenced  shooting  his  arrows  at  them.  At  first 
they  dodged  about,  and  made  signs  for  him  to  desist, 
as  they  were  friends;  but,  to  their  admonitions  he  paid 
not  the  least  attention.  Several  of  the  missiles  had 
come  near  causing  them  bodily  injury.  After  a  time, 
forbearance  ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  Raising  his  rifle, 
one  of  the  men  fired ;  when,  to  use  mountaineer  par- 
lance, the  Indian  "went  under." 

What  could  have  been  the  foolhardy  ideas  of  this 
warrior  that  compelled  him  to  take  such  a  course  as  he 
did,  not  one  of  the  party,  when  they  were  informed  of 
the  adventure,  could  conjecture  ;  but  a  fact  it  is,  that 
he  lost  his  life  and  his  scalp  by  his  indiscretion.  In  due 
time  the  command  reached  the  Sacramento  River,  and 
were  proceeding  on  the  trail  down  that  stream,  when 
they  came  to  a  point  not  far  from  a  deep  canon,  the 
sides  of  which  were  almost  perpendicular  and  composed 
of  cragged  rocks.     Fremont  decided  not  to  pass  through 


270    one  " klamath"  defies  the  whole  party. 

this  deep  gorge,  but  instead,  to  travel  around  it ;  and 
he  did  so  by  crossing  the  river.  It  proved  afterwards 
to  be  a  very  fortunate  change  ;  for  their  old  enemies, 
the  Klamath  Indians,  had  concealed  themselves  there, 
thinking,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  white  men 
would  keep  the  trail.  Seeing  that  the  white  men 
were  not  coming  into  the  ambuscade  laid  for  them,  the 
Indians  became  so  disappointed  that  they  boldly  ven- 
tured forth  from  their  hiding-places.  A  few,  more 
daring  than  the  rest,  advanced  into  open  ground,  when 
Carson,  Godey,  and  another  member  of  the  party,  made 
a  dash  at  them.  They  all  ran  except  one  warrior,  and 
as  the  charging  party  were  mounted  on  mules,  they 
made  but  poor  progress  in  overtaking  them.  The  one 
Indian  who,  apparently,  had  resolved  to  make  war  on 
his  own  account,  concealed  himself  behind  a  rock, 
strung  his  bow,  putting  several  arrows  in  his  mouth, 
and  thus  awaited  the  advance  of  his  foes.  Kit  Carson 
and  Godey  soon  came  within  shooting  distance,  when 
he  began  to  let  fly  his  arrows,  and  kept  it  up  so  briskly 
that  the  men  dodged  about,  without  being  able  to  do 
anything  else  for  some  moments.  At  last,  wearying  of 
this  dangerous  sport,  Kit  Carson  dismounted,  and  crept 
around  until  he  obtained  a  good  sight  at  the  Indian, 
when  he  drew  up  his  rifle,  fired,  and  sent  a  bullet 
through  his  heart.  From  this  dead  brave,  Kit  Carson 
took  a  beautifully-wrought  bow  and  quiver,  which  still 
contained  a  large  number  of  arrows,  and  which  he 
presented,  on  rejoining  the  party,  to  Lieutenant  Gil- 
lespie. It  is  a  pity  that  such  a  brave  man  as  this 
savage  was  should  have  met  with  such  an  inglorious 
death  ;  but  it  was  his  own  seeking,  for  he  had  attacked 
the  wrong  persons.     Another  twenty-four  hours  now 


u 


■■'■ ,  s 


A  moment  more  and  in  all  probability  Kit  Carson  would  have  been  breathing  his 
last.  Fremont  saw  the  danger  his  friend  was  in,  although  Kit  had  tried  to  avoid  the 
arrow  by  throwing  himself  on  one  side  of  his  horse. — Page  267. 


COMPULSORY    FASTING.  273 

passed  by  without  any  further  annoyance  from  the 
Indians,  who,  notwithstanding  the  late  forcible  instruc- 
tion they  had  received,  still  continued  to  hover  around, 
and  follow  after  the  exploring  party.  On  encamping 
the  next  evening,  after  Kit  Carson  had  killed  the 
Indian,  as  above  described,  the  party  found  themselves 
entirely  destitute  of  anything  to  eat,  although  they 
were  very  hungry.  Game  had,  all  at  once,  become 
very  scarce,  as  the  hunters  whose  turn  it  was  to  be  out 
that  day  had  returned  unsuccessful.  Two  more  men 
were  then  sent  out,  in  hopes  that  by  perseverance  they 
might  find  something.  They  had  not  proceeded  far 
before  they  discovered  an  Indian  watching  their  camp, 
as  if  awaiting  a  favorable  opportunity  to  make  a  descent 
on  the  animals.  Step  (one  of  these  hunters)  crept  un- 
perceived  by  the  red  man  until  he  was  within  range  of 
his  rifle,  when  he  fired,  and  killed  the  would-be  thief. 
No  other  game  could  be  found,  so  the  hunters  returned, 
and  the  whole  party  retired  to  rest  supperless,  and 
arose  the  next  morning  to  fast  again.  That  day,  how- 
ever, they  found  and  killed  some  game,  and  for  the 
time  being  their  appetites  were  once  more  appeased. 
Fremont  was  now  on  his  way  to  Peter  Lawson's  Fort, 
where  he  arrived  safely,  after  several  days  of  hard 
traveling.  At  this  place  the  party  rested  for  about  one 
week  ;  but  the  desire  to  have  an  active  share  in  the 
approaching  hostilities  caused  Fremont  to  delay  no 
longer  than  was  absolutely  necessary ;  hence,  he  started 
and  went  to  a  point  lower  clown  on  the  Sacramento, 
known  to  the  mountaineers  under  the  name  of  the 
Buttes.  Here  a  camp  was  made,  and  here  Fremont 
had  decided  to  wait  positive  orders  concerning  the 
war;   and,  until   these   instructions    should   arrive,  he 


274  ATTACK    ON    SONOMA. 

employed  his  men  in  hunting.  After  several  days  spent 
in  this  way,  he  began  to  weary  of  inactivity  He 
thought  that,  in  all  probability,  war  had  commenced  ; 
and,  finally,  he  decided  to  take  the  responsibility  of 
sending  a  part  of  his  force  to  surprise  Sonoma,  a  Mexi- 
can military  post  that  had  but  a  weak  garrison.  This 
the  party  accomplished  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  their 
commander.  They  captured  and  made  prisoners  of 
war,  at  this  fort,  one  general  and  two  captains,  besides 
taking  several  cannon  and  quite  a  quantity  of  small 
arms.  It  was  about  this  time  that  news  reached  Fre- 
mont which  convinced  him  that  hostilities  had  already 
commenced,  and  that  both  countries  were  taking  active 
measures  to  carry  the  war  on  with  vigor.  He  set  out 
immediately,  on  the  receipt  of  this  information,  and 
joined  his  detail  of  men  at  Sonoma.  During  his  stay  at 
this  fort,  General  Castro  sent  one  of  his  captains,  with 
a  large  force  of  Mexicans,  from  San  Francisco,  with 
orders  to  drive  the  Americans  out  of  the  country. 
This  command  came,  and  accidentally  fell  upon  and 
butchered  two  men  whom  Fremont  had  sent  out  as 
messengers,  to  inform  all  American  settlers  that  So- 
noma had  been  taken  by  him,  and  that  thither  they 
could  fly  for  safety.  The  gallant  Mexican  captain,  on 
seeing  and  hearing  that  Fremont's  forces  were  anxious 
to  meet  him,  becoming  disheartened,  began  to  retreat, 
and  was  pursued  by  the  exploring  party.  For  six  days 
they  thus  followed  the  retreating  enemy,  whose  courage 
had  evidently  deserted  them,  though  they  had  triple 
the  force  of  their  pursuers.  So  hot  was  the  chase  that 
the  Mexicans  deserted  many  of  their  animals,  which, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Ameri- 
cans.    Fremont,  on  finding  that  he  could  not  overtake 


MISSION  AT   MONTEREY. 


CAPTURED    MEXICANS.  275 

the  enemy,  returned  to  Sonoma.  The  captain,  with 
his  Mexican  command,  as  was  afterwards  learned,  did 
not  remain  at  San  Francisco.  No  doubt  he  did  not  like 
to  trust  himself  within  reach  of  Fremont,  for  he  con- 
tinued his  march  until  he  reached  the  Pueblo  of  Los 
Angelos,  where  he  was  rejoined  by  General  Castro,  who 
re-organized  the  forces  and  assumed  the  command  him- 
self. The  exploring  party  had  now  become  a  military 
expedition,  and  around  this  nucleus  the  Americans, 
then  in  California,  flocked  to  pour  out  their  vengeance 
against  their  country's  foes.  Having  quite  a  little  army 
at  his  disposal,  Fremont  left  a  strong  detachment  at 
Sonoma,  and  departed  with  the  rest  of  his  command 
for  Sutter's  Fort.  On  arriving  there,  he  placed  the 
fort  under  military  rule,  and  left  his  prisoners,  General 
Vallejos  and  the  two  captains,  who  had  been  captured 
at  Sonoma;  also,  an  American  by  the  name  of  Lace,  who 
was  a  brother-in-law  to  General  Vallejos,  and  whose 
predilections  appeared  to  lean  in  favor  of  the  Mexican 
side.  With  all  his  mountain  men,  including  Kit  Car- 
son, Fremont  then  took  up  his  line  of  march  towards 
Monterey,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  and  taking  pos- 
session of  the  town ;  but  this  movement  had  been 
anticipated  by  Commodore  Sloat  and  the  American 
squadron.  Soon  after  Fremont's  arrival  at  Monterey 
(where  he  was  very  kindly  received  by  the  Commodore 
and  his  officers),  Commodore  Sloat  left  the  country, 
and  the  command  devolved  upon  Commodore  Stockton. 
A  consultation  having  been  held  among  the  officers, 
it  was  the  prevailing  opinion  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  overtake  and  engage  the  Mexicans  by  following 
them  up  on  land;  therefore  Fremont  asked  for  a  ship 

to  take  his  force  to  San  Diego,  where  he  could  obtain 
16 


276  A    DEMORALIZED    ENEMY. 

animals  and  march  on  to  Los  Angelos.  The  United 
States  vessel,  Cyane.  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Dupont,  afterwards  Admiral  Dupont,  was  furnished 
him  for  this  undertaking  by  Commodore  Stockton.  In 
four  days'  time  the  party  arrived  at  San  Diego,  where 
they  landed.  They  there  parted  with  the  ship  and  the 
gallant  captain,  with  many  pleasant  reminiscences  of 
their  short  voyage.  At  San  Diego,  Fremont  found 
himself  at  the  head  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  which  was  not  a  very  strong  force  to  be  in  an 
enemy's  country  with,  especially  so  far  from  their  homes 
as  they  were.  However,  nearly  every  man  was  a  vet- 
eran in  war,  and  the  whole  body  felt  themselves  invin- 
cible, which  was  a  source  of  great  consolation  to  their 
leader.  From  San  Diego,  parties  of  the  command  were 
sent  to  scour  the  neighboring  country,  in  order  to  bring 
in  a  sufficient  number  of  horses  to  mount  the  men. 
This  being  accomplished,  Fremont  set  out  for  Los 
Angelos,  where  the  Governor  and  General  Castro  had 
a  force  of  seven  hundred  men  at  their  disposal.  These 
officials,  with  their  soldiers,  on  learning  the  near  ap- 
proach of  the  Americans,  broke  up  and  fled,  most  of 
them  taking  the  road  to  Sonoma,  while  the  balance 
scattered,  not  apparently  caring  where  they  went,  as 
long  as  they  did  not  come  in  contact  with  the  Ameri- 
cans. Fremont  marched  within  about  one  league  of 
the  town,  and  encamped  to  await,  as  had  been  previ- 
ously agreed  upon,  the  arrival  of  Commodore  Stockton, 
who  soon  joined  him  at  this  place  with  a  party  of  sail- 
ors and  marines,  "As  fine  a  body  of  men,"  says  Kit 
Carson,  "as  I  ever  looked  upon." 

When  the  two  commands  had  been  consolidated,  they 
marched  direct  for  Los  Angelos,  which  they  easily  cap- 


DETAILED    FOE    IMPORTANT    DUTY.  277 

tured,  as  its  would-be  defenders  had  some  days  before 
deserted  it.  In  this  town  the  command  was  quartered 
for  some  time ;  but,  as  it  is  our  intention  to  follow  the 
career  of  Kit  Carson,  who,  shortly  after  their  arrival, 
had  been  detailed  for  important  duty,  which  placed 
him  in  new  scenes;  hence,  we  are  necessitated  to  take 
leave  of  affairs  as  they  transpired  there,  and  hereafter 
revert  to  them  casually  as  they  connect  with  our  nar- 
rative. 


278         KIT    CARSON   AS    BEAREIi    OF   DISPATCHES. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Kit  Carson  is  sent  Overland  as  Bearer  of  Dispatches  to  Washington — The 
Preparation  and  the  Start — The  Journey — Privations  and  Sufferings — 
Meeting  with  General  Kearney — The  General  takes  Carson  as  his 
Guide  and  sends  on  his  Dispatches  by  Fitzpatriek — The  March — Ar- 
rival at  Warner's  Rancke — Mexicans  on  tlie  Road — Preparations  for  a 
Battle — The  Battle — Disastrous  Consequences — Kit  Carson  and  Lieu- 
tenant Beale  offer  to  run  the  lines  of  the  Mexican  Sentinels  and  carry 
Information  to  San  Diego  of  Kearney's  Critical  Position — The  Daring 
Undertaking — The  Sufferings  they  Encountered — Their  Arrival — Re- 
inforcements sent  out — Lieutenant  Beale  is  Delirious  from  the  Priva- 
tions he  has  undergone — General  Kearney  and  his  Command  finally 
reach  and  join  the  other  American  Forces  in  California. 

On  the  15th  day  of  September,  1S46,  Kit  Carson  was 
placed  in  the  command  of  fifteen  men,  with  orders  to 
make  an  overland  journey  to  Washington,  as  bearer  of 
very  important  dispatches. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write  there  was  no  steam 
communications  via  the  two  great  oceans ;  no  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  to  carry  one  over  the  plains  with  all 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  home  ;  consequently,  the 
intercourse  between  our  brave  countrymen  in  Califor- 
nia and  the  government  at  Washington  was  attended 
with  extreme  difficulty.  Fortunately,  Fremont  had  in 
Kit  Carson  just  the  man  to  make  such  a  journey 
through  an  enemy's  country. 

Kit  Carson  was  instructed  to  use  his  utmost  en- 
deavors to  make  the  journey  in  sixty  days,  which  was 
no  small  undertaking,  when  we  consider  the  great  dis- 


A  PARLEY  WITH  THE  APACHES.         279 

tance  to  be  traveled  over  and  the  obstacles  that  lay  in 
his  path  ;  he  undertook  it,  however,  with  a  determina- 
tion not  to  be  easily  frustrated. 

By  judicious  management  and  watchfulness,  Kit  was 
making  good  progress,  and  had  reached  a  point  within 
two  days'  travel  of  the  Copper  Mines  in  New  Mexico 
without  being  in  any  way  annoyed.  Here  he  came 
into  full  view  of  a  village  of  Apache  Indians,  who  were 
then,  as  they  nearly  ever  since  have  been,  at  war  with 
the  Americans.  He  had  been  discovered  by  these  In- 
dians, and  there  was  but  one  true  way  to  act,  which 
was  not  to  show  the  white  feather  by  attempting  to 
evade  them.  Fremont's  dispatch  bearer  had  not  the 
least  idea  of  that;  he  was  too  well  schooled  in  Indian 
stratagem  to  be  out-manoeuvred,  so  he  rode  on  as  if 
nothing  had  happened  until  he  came  to  some  timber 
that  lay  within  one  hundred  yards  of  their  village,  when 
he  halted.  At  first  the  Indians  were  disconcerted  at  the 
boldness  of  the  whites,  and  were  showing  it  by  hurrying 
to  and  fro,  either  for  the  purpose  of  leaving  or  to  be  bet- 
ter prepared  to  offer  fight.  On  arriving  near  enough 
so  to  do,  Kit  Carson  called  to  the  savages  and  informed 
them  that  his  party  were  friends  and  wished  a  parley. 
To  this  an  assent  was  given,  when  Kit  made  them  un- 
derstand that  he  and  his  men  were  simply  travelers, 
en  route  for  New  Mexico ;  that  they  carried  the  olive 
branch  of  peace  with  them,  and  had  come  among  them 
bearing  it,  in  the  hopes  of  being  able  to  exchange  their 
fatigued  animals  for  others  that  were  fresh.  With  this 
the  Indians  were  satisfied;  therefore,  Carson  chose  a 
camping-ground  for  himself  and  men,  and  selected  the 
site  so  that  they  could  best  contend  against  the  treach- 
ery of  the  red  men,  should  they  attempt  any.     When 


280  SHORT    OF    SUPPLIES. 

the  camp  was  arranged,  the  Indians  were  allowed  t»i 
come  in j  and,  soon  after,  the  trading  commenced,  which 
proved  to  be  very  successful,  for  the  men  obtained  very 
good  riding  animals  in  place  of  their  old  ones.  Their 
intercourse  with  this  band  of  Apaches  closed  early  the 
next  day,  when  both  parties  bid  each  other  good-by 
on  the  most  friendly  terms. 

A  few  days  more  of  travel  brought  Kit  Carson  and 
his  men  to  the  first  Mexican  settlement  which  then 
stood  in  their  road.  Their  arrival  in  the  town  hap- 
pened very  opportunely,  having  for  the  past  few 
days  been  suffering  severely  from  hunger.  They  had 
started  from  California  with  but  a  small  stock  of  dried 
meat  and  corn,  not  being  able  conveniently  to  carry 
more  without  impeding  their  progress ;  therefore,  they 
were  left  to  depend  on  their  rifles.  Game  they  found 
to  be  scarce,  and  in  a  short  time  their  meat  was  ex- 
pended. Being  reduced  to  the  corn,  they  were,  as  a 
matter  of  necessity,  very  sparing  of  it.  The  maize  was 
parched  and  for  several  days  they  derived  their  entire 
subsistence  from  it,  though,  on  account  of  the  short 
allowance,  they  but  poorly  satiated  their  appetites. 
About  the  time  succor  appeared  to  them  in  the  shape 
of  this  Mexican  town,  even  the  maize  was  nearly  used 
up.  They  were  delighted  to  reach  a  place  where  they 
would  be  able  to  replenish  their  provisions.  It  was 
well  known  to  their  commander  that,  as  a  dernier  re- 
sort, he  could  kill  and  live  upon  his  riding  animals,  but 
in  so  doing,  he  would  cripple  his  means  so  much  that 
the  business  he  was  on  might  prove  a  failure.  While 
so  much  depended  on  it,  he  felt  that  he  ought  not  to 
leave  any  other  means  untried  before  resorting  to  such 
a  procedure.     It  was  true,  the  Mexicans  at  that  time 


MEETING    WITH    GENERAL    KEARNEY.  281 

were  at  war ;  but  there  were  scattered  over  New  Mex- 
ico, in  almost  every  town,  former  friends  of  Kit  Carson, 
who  would,  he  felt  confident,  serve  him  in  the  hour  of 
trial.  At  the  first  ranche  they  came  to,  they  halted 
and  made  a  rest  of  two  or  three  days,  while  Kit  em- 
ployed himself  in  purchasing  supplies,  in  which  he  suc- 
ceeded beyond  even  his  expectations. 

It  was  while  obeying  instructions,  in  traveling  as  fast 
as  possible,  that  one  day,  the  sixth  of  October,  1846, 
the  party  discerned  something  which,  at  first,  looked 
like  a  mere  speck  moving  on  the  prairies.  Watching  it 
with  intense  anxiety,  the  little  speck  increased  in  size 
until  they  saw  it  emerge,  as  it  were,  from  the  appar- 
ent junction  of  the  heavens  with  the  earth,  and  form 
a  visible  line.  As  the  front  of  this  column  came 
nearer  to  view,  they  discovered  that  it  was  a  strong 
detachment  of  United  States  troops.  The  truth  was 
now  evident  to  them  all  that  this  was  an  expedition 
sent  out  by  Government  to  operate  in  California. 
Spurring  on  their  animals,  Kit  and  his  men  soon  met 
the  advance  guard  of  the  soldiers  and  learned  that 
their  commander  was  General  Kearney,  who  was  further 
back  in  the  lines.  On  coming  to  the  General,  Kit  Car- 
son reported  himself,  informed  him  of  the  business  he 
was  on,  and  also  furnished  him  with  all  the  intelligence 
in  his  power  in  reference  to  the  disposal  of  the  Ameri- 
can forces  in  California,  besides  detailing  to  him  what 
had  already  been  accomplished  in  that  quarter. 

After  due  deliberation,  General  Kearney  determined 
to  send  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  on  to  Washington  with  the  dis- 
patches, and  to  order  Kit  Carson  to  join  him  as  guide. 
In  fulfilling  this  duty,  he  well  knew  that  Kit  would  be 
invaluable  to  him.     Acting  on  this  decision,  he  sent 


282  A    DREARY    OUTLOOK. 

for  Kit  Carson,  and  informed  him  of  what  he  wished 
him  to  do.  Kit  Carson  replied — "  As  the  General 
thinks  best."  The  fact  was,  that  Kit  well  knew  he 
could  be  of  great  service  to  the  command,  and  he  was 
too  honest  not  to  confess  it,  though  he  was  now  nearly 
in  reach  of  his  happy  home  and  its  loved  inmates,  from 
whom  he  had  been  so  long  separated  and  whom  he 
fondly  wished  to  see.  In  facing  about,  Kit  took  upon 
his  shoulders  the  }Drospect  of  encountering  fearful 
dangers ;  but  he  undertook  his  new  duties  without 
allowing  a  murmur  to  escape  his  lips,  and  without  even 
asking  additional  pay,  though,  had  he  but  mentioned 
it,  the  General  could  not  have  well  refused  the  demand. 
A  noble  motive  engrossed  Kit  Carson's  mind.  He 
ever  labored  to  win  and  wear  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  his  countrymen,  being  ambitious  to  leave  a 
name  behind  him  that  would  be  an  honor  to  his  friends 
and  family. 

On  the  eighteenth  day  of  October,  1846,  General 
Kearney  and  his  command  left  the  Rio  Del  Norte,  in 
New  Mexico.  The  services  of  Kit  Carson,  in  directing 
the  route,  proved  the  wisdom  of  General  Kearney  in 
making  the  change  in  the  bearers  of  dispatches.  So 
true  was  Kit  Carson's  guidance,  that  the  command 
traveled  with  so  much  dispatch  as  to  reach  Warner's 
Ranche,  in  California,  on  the  third  day  of  December 
following.  From  this  place  it  took  up  a  line  of  march 
for  San  Diego. 

While  on  their  march,  news  was  brought  in  hy  their 
spies  that  a  strong  command  of  Mexican  Californians 
had  taken  up  a  position  on  their  route,  evidently 
awaiting  their  advance  with  the  view  of  attacking 
them.     This  occurred  on   the   sixth   day  of  the  same 


A   SKIRMISH    WITH    THE    MEXICANS.  283 

month.  General  Kearney  made  no  change  in  his 
route,  but  advanced  to  within  fifteen  miles  of  the 
enemy's  encampment.  Here  he  commanded  a  halt. 
A  reconnoitering  party,  consisting  of  fifteen  dragoons, 
commanded  by  Lieutenant  Hammond,  was  sent  on  in 
advance,  to  note  the  position  and  force  of  the  enemy. 
He  proceeded  upon  the  duty,  but  was  discovered  by 
the  Mexicans.  Nevertheless,  he  fortunately  succeeded 
in  making  his  observations  previous  to  being  seen.  His 
report*  to  General  Kearney,  among  other  facts,  stated 
that  these  Mexican  soldiers  had  strongly  established 
themselves  in  ai  Indian  village. 

General  Kearney  determined,  without  delay,  to  at- 
tack them.  Orders  were  given  to  resume  the  march  ; 
and,  by  one  o'clock  the  next  morning,  the  American 
soldiers  had  fastened  all  their  packs  on  their  mules, 
and  were  themselves  mounted  and  ready  for  the  com- 
mand to  move.  The  order  came  without  delay,  and 
the  little  army  was  immediately  in  motion.  Fourteen 
miles  of  the  space  which  separated  the  two  parties 
were  passed  without  interruption.  When  within  one 
mile  of  the  Mexican  position,  the  advance  guard  of  the 
Americans  suddenly  came  upon  a  small  advance  guard 
of  the  Mexicans,  who  were  evidently  posted  to  watch 
their  approach  and  guard  the  road.  As  soon  as  they 
were  discovered,  the  trumpets  of  the  dragoons  sounded, 
in  quick  succession,  the  orders  to  trot,  and  to  gallop. 
The  Americans  were  so  prompt  in  making  their  charge 
that  they  came  upon  the  Mexicans,  when  a  sharp 
skirmish  ensued,  in  which  several  of  the  enemy  were 
killed.  The  remainder  of  the  outpost  were  driven  in, 
bearing  the  news  of  the  attack  to  their  friends.  Cap- 
tain Johnson,  Kit  Carson,  and  fifteen  American  soldiers 


284     A  MIRACULOUS  ESCAPE  FROM  DEATH. 

formed  the  attacking  party  in  this  affair.  They  had 
been  ordered  to  secure  the  loose  animals  belonging  to 
the  enemy.  In  this  they  failed,  the  animals  being  too 
strongly  guarded,  and  because,  upon  the  first  alarm, 
they  were  driven  out  of  harm's  way. 

This  attack,  however,  proved  to  be  the  commence- 
ment of  a  serious  fight.  Seeing  that  his  orders  could 
not  be  obeyed  in  regard  to  the  animals  of  the  enemy, 
Captain  Johnson  and  his  party  joined  a  party  under 
Captain  Moore.  The  force  of  the  latter  consisted  of 
twenty-five  American  volunteers  from  California,  who 
had  attached  themselves  to  General  Kearney's  com- 
mand since  its  arrival  in  the  country.  Moore's  com- 
mand also  comprised  parts  of  two  companies  of  United 
States  dragoons.  Captain  Moore  had  been  ordered  to 
make  an  attack  on  the  centre  of  the  enemy,  in  order 
to  cut  their  forces  in  two,  and  thereby  cause  confusion 
in  their  ranks.  As  has  been  stated,  Captain  Johnson, 
with  his  little  force,  joined  Captain  Moore  in  making 
this  attack.  While  the  charge  was  in  progress,  and 
when  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  Mexican  camp, 
Kit  Carson's  horse,  occupying  a  leading  position  in  the 
column  of  attack,  accidentally  fell,  and  threw  his  rider 
with  such  force  as  to  break  the  wood  part,  or  stock,  of 
his  rifle  into  several  pieces,  rendering  it  useless.  His 
position,  for  a  short  time,  was  precarious.  Being  fore- 
most in  the  charge  when  the  accident  happened,  the 
whole  troop  of  horse  came  galloping  over  him  as  he 
lay  upon  the  ground.  His  escape  was  almost  a  miracle. 
When  the  last  horseman  had  passed,  Kit  arose,  and 
was  quite  happy  to  find  that  he  had  received  only 
slight  contusions,  which  did  not  in  the  least  impair  his 
movements  or  strength  of  body.     Casting  a  hasty  glance 


A    DESPERATE    AND   DEADLY    CONFLICT.  285 

over  the  field,  he  discovered  a  dead  dragoon,  not  far  dis- 
tant from  the  spot  where  he  himself  had  fallen.    Instantly 
running  up  to  the  poor  fellow,   he  relieved  him  of  his 
gun  and  cartridge-box.     Being  once  more  armed,   he 
rushed  forward  at   the   top  of  his   speed  and  plunged 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  which  was  then  severely 
contested.     Captain  Johnson  and  several  of  the  more 
advanced  soldiers  had  been  killed  by  the  bullets  of  the 
enemy,  almost  at  the  same  instant  that  Kit  Carson's 
horse  had  fallen.     It  is  not  at  all  unlikely,  therefore, 
that  the  accidental  falling  of  his  horse   had  been  the 
means  of  saving  Kit  Carson's  life.     After  a  desperate 
and  deadly  conflict,  Moore  and  his  men  dislodged  the 
enemy,  causing  them  to  retreat.     They  were  followed 
by  the  Americans,  but,   unfortunately  for  their  com- 
plete success,   the   large   majority  of   the   latter  were 
mounted  on  mules.    These,  when  the  firing  commenced, 
became  almost  unmanageable.     But  forty  of  the  entire 
command  of  General  Kearney  were  mounted  on  horses, 
and  these  were   none    the  best  for  cavalry   purposes, 
having  been  but  recently  broken  to  the  saddle.     They 
had  been  captured   since   the  arrival  of  the  American 
forces  in  the  country,  from  a  party  of  Mexicans,  who 
were  en  route  to  Sonora,  by  Lieutenant  Davidson  and 
twenty-five  dragoons,  assisted  by  Kit  Carson.     By  the 
uncontrollable  actions  of  the  stubborn  mules,  Moore's 
men  became  greatly  separated  and  could  not  act  in 
concert.      This   rendered    the    pursuit,    so   far   as    the 
enemy  was  concerned,  nearly  harmless. 

The  Mexicans,  quickly  perceiving  the  condition  of 
their  assailants,  and  comprehending  the  chances,  which 
the  apparent  difficulty  gave  them,  at  once  rallied  and 
turned  on  their  pursuers.     The  fight  was  renewed  with 


286  TERRIBLE    SLAUGHTER. 

most  determined  courage.  The  Mexicans  fought  with 
a  bravery  and  success  which  turned  the  hitherto,  com- 
paratively speaking,  bloodless  victory  of  the  Americans, 
into  a  terrible  slaughter.  Every  moment  saw  some 
brave  dragoon  yield  up  his  life  to  the  deadly  bullets  or 
blows  of  the  exasperated  Mexicans.  Out  of  the  forty 
dragoons  who  were  mounted  on  horses,  thirty-six  were 
either  killed  or  severely  wounded.  Among  the  names 
to  be  added  to  the  sad  list  already  killed,  was  Captain 
Moore,  "  as  brave  a  man,"  says  Kit  Carson,  "  as  ever 
drew  breath  in  any  service."  As  fast  as  the  scattered 
American  soldiers  could  reach  the  scene  of  carnage, 
they  joined  in  the  battle;  but,  the  Mexicans,  elated  by 
their  success,  fought  like  demons,  and  seemed  to  sweep 
everything  before  them. 

General  Kearney,  seeing  his  officers  thus  shot  down, 
drawing  his  sword,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
remaining  forces  ;  and,  though  severely  wounded,  he 
made  a  desperate  attempt  to  cause  the  enemy,  once 
more,  to  retreat.  At  this  crisis  of  affairs  Lieutenant 
Davidson  arrived  on  the  ground  with  two  mountain 
howitzers.  Before  he  could  get  his  guns  unlimbered 
and  ready  to  commence  firing,  nearly  every  man  he  had 
to  work  them  was  shot  down,  being  either  killed  or 
badly  wounded.  Following  up  their  success,  the  Mexi- 
cans charged  right  up  to  the  guns,  and,  with  the  lasso, 
unerring  in  their  hands,  captured  the  horses  attached 
to,  and,  on  the  instant,  made  off  with  one  of  the  guns. 
On  reaching  a  distance  of  three  hundred  yards,  they 
halted  and  prepared  to  turn  the  fire  of  the  howitzer 
upon  the  Americans.  From  some  unaccountable  rea- 
son, it  would  not  go  off.  Lieutenant  Davidson  did  his 
utmost  to  prevent  the  loss  of  this  gun,  and  after  several 


CALIFORNIA   MEXICANS.  287 

narrow  escapes  from  dangerous  lance  wounds,  as  his 
clothing  and  saddle  sufficiently  attested,  he  was  finally 
stricken  down,  and  nearly  gave  his  life  a  sacrifice  to  his 
heroism. 

After  being  thus  badly  cut  up,  and  with  not  more 
than  one  or  two  officers  left  who  had  not  been 
wounded,  while  £he  men  had  been  handled  with 
equal  severity,  the  Americans  were  obliged  to  take 
refuge  at  a  point  of  rocks,  which  chanced  to  be  near 
where  their  advance  had  been  defeated.  A  rally 
was  made  at  this  place.  The  Mexicans,  however,  did 
not  venture  to  attack  them.  Both  sides  were  appar- 
ently weary  of  fighting  for  that  day.  The  firing  ceased, 
and  soon  after  night  closed  over  the  scene  of  the  battle- 
field. 

These  California  Mexicans,  previous  to  the  war  with 
the  United  States,  were  considered  by  the  mountaineers 
as  the  bravest  Spanish  blood  in  the  Mexican  provinces. 
During  the  war,  they  proved  that  they  had  not  been 
overestimated,  as  they  met  their  foes,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  hostilities,  with  a  determination  to  win 
or  sell  their  lives  dearly.  The  reason  of  this  difference 
of  courage  in  their  favor  over  their  countrymen  who 
inhabited  the  internal  States,  is  supposed  to  be  owing 
to  their  opportunities  for  intercourse  with  the  bold 
mariners  from  different  countries  who  visited  them  in 
ships  for  the  purpose  of  trade.  This  commerce  con- 
sisted in  the  transporting  into  the  country  of  such  arti- 
cles as  arms,  ammunition,  groceries,  and  dry  goods,  for 
which  were  bartered,  hides,  tallow,  and  furs.  The  cur- 
rency of  California  at  that  time  was  hides,  which  were 
estimated  at  so  many  dollars.  The  raising  of  cattle  and 
horses  was  the  leading  employment  of  the  people,  and 


288  A    RENOWNED    TRAVELER. 

occupied  most  of  their  time.  On  the  discovery  of  gold, 
these  affairs  underwent  a  change,  and  the  rapid  strides 
of  civilization  has  left  this  people  far  in  the  minority. 
The  horses  of  California  were  celebrated  as  being 
larger  than  the  ponies  of  New  Mexico,  and  also  for 
being  much  fleeter  of  foot.  The  California  rider,  at 
that  time,  was  looked  upon  as  being  unrivaled  by 
those  who  had  witnessed  his  performances.  However, 
the  intercourse  between  the  two  countries  was  very 
limited  among  the  Mexicans,  and  it  was  difficult  to  find 
a  New  Mexican  who  had  seen  the  Pacific.  Their  dia- 
lects were  also  slightly  different,  as  much  so  as  hapj^ens 
in  the  dependencies  of  any  other  country.  It  was  fear 
of  the  Indians  that  put  a  clamper  on  the  travel  between 
these  adjoining  districts.  The  society  of  the  man  who 
had  had  the  boldness  to  make  a  journey  to  California 
from  New  Mexico  was  courted,  he  being  considered  a  re- 
nowned traveler.  His  amusing  stories  of  large  ships  and 
the  men  who  managed  them,  and  also  of  the  great  ex- 
panse of  the  ocean,  amazed  his  auditors  and  made  them 
deeply  interested  in  his  conversation  and  information. 
It  has  become  a  strange  sight  to  look  upon  whole  com- 
munities of  men  who  have  only  heard  of  steamboats, 
telegraphs,  railroads,  and  other  great  improvements 
and  inventions  of  the  age,  yet  there  are  thousands  of 
men  living  in  the  great  interior  of  the  North  American 
continent  who  have  only  vague  ideas  of  these  things ; 
and  many  there  are  who  cannot  realize  them,  but  be- 
lieve that  they  are  fabulous  stories,  and  will  meet  the 
narrator  of  them  with  equal  wonders,  which  they  man- 
ufacture to  suit  the  occasion.  To  give  a  specimen  :  we 
remember  one  night  to  have  tried  to  explain  these  ad- 
vancements to  an  old  Mexican  of  some  eighty  winters, 


THE    MAN    WHO    HAD    SEEN    "  ADAM."  289 

while  we  were  the  guest  of  his  house.  He  listened  at- 
tentively,  but  evidently  could  comprehend  but  little  that 
we  said.  We  changed  the  subject,  and  began  to  describe 
to  him  the  great  beasts  of  the  forest,  such  as  the  lion, 
the  tiger,  and  the  elephant,  and  soon  found  that  we 
had  struck  the  theme  which  pleased  him.  In  reply,  he 
told  us  that  in  his  younger  days  he  himself  was  a  fa- 
mous hunter ;  and  that,  on  one  occasion,  while  on  the 
chase,  he  met  Adam,  who,  he  informed  us,  was  the 
greatest  hunter  of  his  age.  We  were  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  hear  this  old  man  thus  annihilate  time  and 
space,  but  not  more  so  than  when  we  heard  him  relate 
the  conversation  that  passed  between  himself  and 
Adam.  It  was  both  short  and  sweet.  The  Mexican 
demanded  of  Adam  what  was  the  particular  game  he 
was  seeking  in  these  parts,  and  the  reply  was  deer.  He 
said  that  he  wished  to  kill  a  few  choice  bucks,  in  order 
to  get  their  skins  to  clothe  Eve  with,  and  hence  he  had 
come  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  flavor  of  this  yarn 
was  so  good,  I  attempted  to  try  the  old  man  on  another 
adventure,  by  asking  him  if  he  ever,  by  chance,  in  his 
travels,  met  the  Evil  One.  Immediately  he  informed 
me  that  at  one  time  that  gentleman  lived  in  a  salt 
marsh,  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  valley  of  San  Louis. 
The  object  of  his  staying  there  was  to  watch  a  very 
fine  band  of  horses  which  he  was  raising  near  by.  The 
Indians  and  Mexicans  one  day  determined  to  deprive 
Satan  of  his  stock,  and  arranged  things  accordingly  ; 
but,  on  coming  upon  the  horses,  they  were  surprised 
to  find  that  they  could  not  overtake  them,  and  that  the 
horses  ran  directly  into  the  swamp  and  vanished  by 
easily  sinking  out  of  sight.  While  looking  for  a  path 
that  led  into  this  marsh,  they  were  all  at  once  scared 


290  FABULOUS    STORIES. 

nearly  out  of  their  senses  by  seeing  the  devil  raise 
himself  up  in  the  midst  of  the  bog.  The  sequel  was, 
that  the  Mexicans  and  their  Indian  friends  retreated 
as  fast  as  possible,  and  never  stopped  until  they  had 
reached  a  place  of  safety.  My  companions  became 
vexed  to  think  any  man  could  perpetrate  such  a  story 
on  travelers,  who  considered  they  knew  a  thing  or  two, 
and  commenced  quizzing  the  old  gentleman  by  asking 
him  what  the  Indians  knew  of  Satan ;  but  the  old  Mex- 
ican evaded  the  answer  by  taking  down  the  little 
wooden  cross  which  hung  on  the  wall  of  the  room  and 
expressed  the  desire  to  confirm  the  truth  of  his  story 
by  swearing  to  it ;  this,  of  course,  was  said  to  be  en- 
tirely unnecessary.  From  it  we  had  learned  the  lesson 
never  to  try  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  the  ignorant 
too  weighty  matters.  This  is  true  with  the  Indian 
also ;  for,  he  is  incredulous  of  anything  beyond  the 
grasp  of  his  own  mind,  which  fact  is  illustrated  by  the 
following  incident.  An  American  had  some  business 
to  transact  with  a  certain  band  of  Indians,  who  were 
celebrated  as  being  very  treacherous.  Being  a  bold 
man,  he  thought  he  would  beard  the  lions  in  their 
den,  and  accordingly  traveled  alone  to  where  the  band 
was  located ;  but,  instead  of  being  received  with  open 
arms,  as  he  expected,  he  was  made  a  prisoner,  and 
so  held  until  it  could  be  decided  what  was  to  be  clone 
with  him.  At  last,  a  council  was  formed,  before  which 
he  was  to  be  tried.  The  first  question  asked  by  the 
head  chief  was,  "How  do  your  white  people  get 
gunpowder?"  The  reply  was  instantaneous :" We 
sow  it  in  a  peculiar  soil  and  it  grows  up  like 
wheat."  This  was  responded  to  by  a  grunt  from  the 
examiner,     A  pause   ensued,  when  the   chief  looked 


KICKED    OUT    OF    THE    COUNTRY.  291 

the  captive  full  in  the  eyes,  and  thus  addressed  him : 
u  Know  you,  young  man,  that  the  Great  Spirit  came  into 
our  camp  this  morning,  and  after  resting  a  short  time 
he  took  yonder  large  hill  and  placed  it  on  the  top  of  its 
fellow,  and  after  leaving  it  there  two  hours,  he  returned 
it  to  its  former  site.  He  then  bid  his  Indian  children 
good-by.  Young  man,  your  tongue  is  split :  one  fork 
is  for  telling  lies,  and  the  other  is  for  telling  truths." 
This  was  enough  to  convince  the  white  man  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake,  and  that  if  he  had  attempted  to  pre- 
sume on  too  much  knowledge,  his  scalp  might  soon  be 
dangling  on  some  lodge-pole.  The  Indians  admired  the 
brave  and  manly  course  he  had  pursued  in  coming  to 
them  single-handed,  and  this,  with  the  importance  of 
the  business  he  came  on,  saved  his  life. 

The  California  Mexicans  were  so  remote  from  their 
capital,  that,  although  they  acknowledged  their  alle- 
giance to  the  general  government,  yet  they  were  accus- 
tomed, in  many  things,  to  act  with  great  independence. 
Whenever  a  governor  was  sent  to  them  who  would  not 
conform  to  their  rules  and  regulations,  or  made  himself 
in  the  least  obnoxious,  he  was  immediately  placed  on 
board  ship,  with  orders  to  take  himself  out  of  the  coun- 
try as  fast  as  possible,  which  he  never  failed  to  obey, 
in  order  to  save  his  life.  Attempts  were  made  by  the 
home  department  to  make  them  suffer  for  these  disobe- 
diences of  the  general  laws,  but,  in  all  of  these  contests, 
the  Californians  came  out  victorious,  and  .hence  they 
believed  they  were  beyond  the  power  of  being  van- 
quished. They  were  taught  differently  by  the  Ameri- 
cans. 

These  few  cursory  remarks  will  serve   to  show   the 

reader  that  General  Kearney  had  no  despicable  foe  to 
17 


292  KIT    CARSON   IN    COMMAND. 

overcome  and  subdue.  His  care  now  was  to  attend  to 
the  wounded.  There  was  no  rest  for  his  command  that 
night,  as,  during  the  hours  of  darkness,  his  men  were 
busy  interring  their  dead  and  looking  after  the  wants 
of  the  sufferers.  A  sharp  lookout,  also,  was  kept  on 
the  movements  of  the  enemy,  who  were  continually  re- 
ceiving re-info  rcements.  A  council  of  war  was  held  in 
the  American  camp,  when  General  Kearney,  after 
taking  the  advice  of  his  remaining  officers,  decided  to 
move  on  early  in  the  morning,  with  the  hope  of  meet- 
ing re-inforcements.  He  had  dispatched  three  men  as 
bearers  of  dispatches  to  Commodore  Stockton  at  San 
Diego  before  the  battle ;  but,  whether  they  had  been 
successful  or  not  in  reaching  the  Commodore,  the 
General  did  not  know.  Just  before  the  late  fight,  they 
had  returned  to  within  sight  of  their  friends,  when 
they  were  taken  prisoners  by  the  Mexicans.  The 
order  of  the  march  on  the  following  day  was  as  fol- 
lows: Kit  Carson,  with  a  command  of  twenty-five  men, 
proceeded  in  the  advance,  while  the  remainder  of  the 
now  very  much  crippled  band  of  soldiers  followed 
after  on  the  trail  made  by  their  guide.  Steadily  and 
compactly  these  brave  men  moved  forward,  being  con- 
tinually in  expectancy  of  a  charge  from  the  enemy, 
who  would  show  themselves,  from  time  to  time,  on  the 
neighboring  hills,  and  then  again,  for  a  time,  disappear. 
During  the  previous  day,  a  Mexican  lieutenant  had  his 
horse  shot  from  under  him,  and  he  himself  had  been 
taken  prisoner.  On  a  favorable  opportunity  occurring, 
General  Kearney  ordered  the  "  halt"  to  be  sounded, 
when,  through  a  flag  of  truce,  he  asked  a  parley.  It 
being-  granted,  he  succeeded  in  making  an  exchange  of 
the  Lieutenant  for  one  of  his  expressmen.     He  gained 


A    HARD    FOUGHT    BATTLE.  293 

nothing  by  this,  for  the  man  stated  that  he  and   his 
companions  had  found  it  impossible  to  reach  their  point 
of  destination,  and  hence  they  had  turned  back.     The 
manoeuvring  on  the  part  of  the  Mexicans,  which  we 
have   alluded   to   as   consisting  of   making   temporary 
stands  on  the  hills,  and  then  changing  their  positions  as 
the  Americans  drew  near  to  them,  continued  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.     Finally,  as  General  Kearney 
and  his  men  were  approaching  the  water,  where  they 
intended   to   camp,  and   were   not  over  five   hundred 
yards  from  it,  down  came  the  Mexicans,  divided  into 
two  separate  commands,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
charge.     They  were  at  first  warmly  received   by  the 
Americans,  who,  after  a  time,  were  obliged  to  give  way 
to  superior  numbers ;  but,  in  doing  so,  they  retreated 
in  good  order  to  a  hill  about  two   hundred  yards  to 
their  left.     Here  they  halted,  and  determined  to  de- 
cide the  battle ;  but  the  wary  Mexicans,  on  seeing  the 
strength  of  the  position  taken  by  their  foes,  declined  to 
attack   them,  and    drew  off  to  a  neio-hborino-  height, 
from  which  they  commenced  and  maintained  a  deadly 
fire  on  the  Americans.     Captains  Emery  and  Turner, 
with  all  the  available  dragoons,  were  sent  to  dislodge 
them.     This  they  did  in  splendid  style,  after  a  sharp 
encounter,  and,  when  their  companions  saw  them  take 
possession  of  this  position,  General  Kearney,  with  all 
his   wounded   and   luggage-trains,  joined   them   there. 
Here   a  permanent  resting-place,  for  the   time  being, 
was  made.     In  fact,  the  men  had  no   other  choice,  as 
they  were  now  pretty  effectually  used  up  from  fighting, 
severe  loss,  and  fatigue.     The  Americans  found  on  this 
hill,  water  barely  sufficient  for  their  own  use,  and  were 
obliged   to   exclude   the  idea  of  sharing  it  with  their 


294  A    DANGEROUS    EXPEDITION. 

animals.  Although  within  sight  of  abundance  of  this 
much-needed  article,  yet  they  did  not  dare  to  drive  the 
latter  to  it,  for  they  were  too  weak  to  defend  them  from 
the  assaults  of  the  enemy.  The  situation  of  General 
Kearney's  force  was  now  critical  in  the  extreme,  as,  be- 
sides the  dangers  that  surrounded  him,  the  men  were 
reduced  to  living  on  their  mules.  That  afternoon, 
another  council  of  war  was  called,  at  which  desperate 
efforts  to  be  made  for  immediate  relief  were  discussed. 
When  every  spark  of  hope  had  almost  died  writhin  them, 
and  when  they  were  in  a  dilemma  as  to  what  still  re- 
mained for  them  to  do,  Kit  Carson  was  found  to  act  as 
the  reader  has  previously  seen  him  act  to  parties  almost 
similarly  situated — the  right  man  in  the  right  place. 
Rising  to  his  feet,  he  addressed  a  few  simple  words  to 
those  present,  saying  that  he  was  willing  to  make  the 
attempt  of  creeping  through  the  Mexican  lines.  Should 
he  succeed,  he  pledged  his  word  that  he  could  carry  in- 
formation to  Commodore  Stockton  at  San  Diego,  and 
thus  bring;  them  succor.  No  sooner  had  he  made  this 
proposition  than  he  was  seconded  by  Lieutenant  Beale, 
then  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who,  equally  as  brave 
and  daring  as  Kit  Carson,  volunteered  his  services  in 
the  undertaking. 

This  gentleman,  from  the  time  he  first  turned  lands- 
man up  to  the  present  date,  has  been  adding  fresh 
laurels  to  his  fame.  His  career  in  exploring  new 
routes  across  the  great  western  girdle  of  prairies  and 
mountains  is  so  well  known,  through  his  valuable  and 
interesting  reports,  as  not  to  require  recapitulation  at 
our  hands.  His  life  has  been  one  series  of  rare  adven- 
tures, while  to  the  scientific  world,  he  has  proved  a 
valuable  acquisition.     To   the  United  States   Govern- 


RUNNING    THE    ENEMY'S    LINES.  295 

merit  his  services  were  inestimable,  and,  as  an  explorer, 
he  has  but  few  equals. 

When  Jeff.  Davis  was  Secretary  of  War,  acting  under 
orders  Lieutenant  Beale  brought  over  some  camels  to 
Texas,  but  they  proved  a  failure.  We  believe  Lieu- 
tenant Beale  is  now  the  owner  of  a  large  and  success- 
ful ranche  in  California. 

General  Kearney  at  once  accepted  the  noble  and 
generous  offers  of  these  two  men,  knowing  that  if  he 
waited  until  the  following  day  and  then  attempted  to 
leave  the  hill,  the  consequences  would  be  most  disas- 
trous ;  for,  in  so  doing,  a  sanguinary  battle  must  cer- 
tainly ensue,  with  the  chances  greatly  against  him. 
Having  made  the  few  preparations  necessary,  Kit  Car- 
son and  Lieutenant  Beale  waited  the  setting  in  of  night, 
under  the  cover  of  which  they  had  both  resolved  to 
succeed  in  the  performance  of  their  mission  or  die  in  the 
attempt.  Having  got  well  under  way,  and  while  stealth- 
ily crawling  over  the  rocks  and  brush,  they  found  their 
shoes  would  often,  even  with  the  greatest  preventive 
care  being  taken,  strike  against  the  various  impedi- 
ments to  their  progress  and  make  sounds  which  might 
lead  to  their  detection.  To  avoid  this  they  took  them 
off  and  pushed  them  under  their  belts.  Slowly,  but 
surely,  they  evaded  the  vigilant  guard  of  the  Mexican 
sentinels,  who  they  found  to  be  mounted  and  three  rows 
deep,  evidently  being  determined  not  to  be  eluded.  So 
near  would  they  often  come  to  these  Mexican  sentinels, 
that  but  a  few  yards  wTould  measure  the  distance  between 
them  and  their  enemies,  yet,  with  brave  hearts  they  crept 
along  over  the  ground  foot  by  foot;  they  were  almost 
safe  beyond  these  barriers,  when  all  their  hopes  came 
near  being  dashed  to  pieces.     This  alarm  was  caused 


296  AGONIZING    SUSPENSE. 

by  one  of  the  sentinels  riding  up  near  to  where  they 
were,  dismounting  from  his  horse  and  lighting,  by  his 
flint  and  steel,  his  cigarette.  On  seeing  this,  Kit  Car- 
son, who  was  just  ahead  of  Lieutenant  Beale,  pushed 
back  his  foot  and  kicked  softly  his  companion,  as  a  sig- 
nal for  him  to  lie  flat  on  the  ground  as  he  (Carson)  was 
doing.  The  Mexican  was  some  time,  being  apparently 
very  much  at  his  leisure,  in  lighting  his  cigaretto;  and, 
during  these  moments  of  suspense,  so  quietly  did  Kit  Car- 
son and  his  companion  lie  on  the  ground,  that  Carson  said, 
and  always  after  affirmed,  that  he  could  distinctly  hear 
Lieutenant  Beale's  heart  pulsate.  Who  can  describe 
the  agony  of  mind  to  which  these  brave  hearts  were 
subjected  during  this  severe  trial.  Everything — the 
lives  of  their  friends  as  well  as  their  own — so  hung  on 
chance,  that  they  shuddered ;  not  at  the  thought  of 
dying,  but  for  fear  they  would  fail  in  accomplishing 
what  was  dearer  to  them  than  life,  the  rescue  of  the 
brave  men  whose  lives  hung  on  their  success  After 
quite  a  long  time,  the  Mexican,  as  if  guided  by  the 
hand  of  Providence,  mounted  his  horse  and  made  off  in 
a  contrary  direction  from  the  one  where  these  bold  ad- 
venturers were  biding  their  time  to  accept  either  good, 
if  possible,  or  evil,  if  necessary,  from  the  wheel  of  for- 
tune. For  a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  Kit  Carson 
and  Lieutenant  Beale  thus  worked  along  on  their  hands 
and  knees.  Continually,  during  this  time,  Kit  Carson's 
eagle  eye  was  penetrating  through  the  darkness,  ever 
on  the  alert  to  discover  whatever  obstacle  might  pre- 
sent itself  on  which  was  stamped  the  least  appearance 
of  danger.  Having  passed  the  last  visible  image  in 
the  shape  of  a  sentinel  and  left  the  lines  behind  them 
at  a  suitable  distance,   both  men  regained  their  feet, 


TERRIBLE    SUFFERING.  297 

and  once  more  breathed  freely.  Their  first  thought 
was  to  look  for  their  shoes,  but,  alas,  they  were  gone. 
In  the  excitement  of  the  journey,  they  had  not  given 
them  a  thought  since  depositing  them  beneath  their 
belts.  Hardly  a  word  had  hitherto  passed  between 
these  two  companions  in  danger,  but  now  they  spoke 
hurriedly  and  congratulated  each  other  on  the  success 
that  so  far  had  attended  them,  and  thanked  God  in 
their  hearts  that  He  had  so  mercifully  aided  them. 
There  was  no  time  for  delay,  as  they  were  by  no 
means  yet  free  from  danger,  though  they  thought  that 
the  worst  was  over.  Kit  Carson  was  familiar  with  the 
country,  and  well  knew  the  necessity  of  avoiding,  for 
fear  of  being  discovered,  all  the  well  trodden  trails  and 
roads  which  lead  to  San  Diego,  everyone  of  which  was 
closely  watched  by  the  enemy.  He  chose  a  circuitous 
route,  over  rocks,  hills  and  wild  lands.  The  soil  was 
lined  with  the  prickly  pear,  the  thorns  of  which  were 
penetrating,  at  almost  every  step,  deep  into  their  bare 
feet,  which,  owing  to  the  darkness  and  thickness  of  the 
plants,  they  could  not  avoid.  The  town  of  San  Diego 
was  located  many  miles  in  a  straight  line  from  the 
point  from  whence  they  had  started,  but,  by  the  round- 
about route  they  were  obliged  to  travel,  this  distance 
was  much  lengthened.  All  the  following  day  they 
continued  their  tramp  and  made  as  much  progress  as 
possible.  Their  mental  excitement  kept  them  in  good 
spirits,  though,  from  previous  fatigue,  the  want  of  food 
during  this  time,  and  by  the  rapid  pace  at  which  they 
were  traveling,  they  were  putting  their  physical  powers 
to  their  full  test.  Another  night  closed  in  around  them, 
yet  "  onward  "  was  their  watchword,  for  they  thought 
not  of  rest  while  those  behind  them  were  in  such  im- 


298  THEIR    TRIALS    ENDED. 

minent  peril.  Kit  Carson's  only  compass  was  his  eye, 
which  served  him  so  well  that  soon  the  dark  outlines  of 
the  houses  of  San  Diego  could  just  be  discerned.  Both 
men  were  ready  to  leap  with  joy.  They  were  challenged 
by  the  American  sentinels  about  the  town,  and  answered 
in  pure  English,  "  Friends,"  which  same  English  was  un- 
mistakable proof  to  the  guard  from  whence  they  came. 
On  stating  their  important  business,  they  were  con- 
ducted into  the  presence  of  Commodore  Stockton,  to 
whom  they  related  Avhat  we  have  tried  to  describe. 
Commodore  Stockton,  with  his  usual  promptitude,  imme- 
diately detailed  a  command  of  about  one  hundred  and 
seventy  men  to  make  forced  marches  in  order  to  reach 
and  relieve  their  besieged  countrymen.  With  as  much 
dispatch  as  possible,  this  force  set  out,  taking  with 
them  a  piece  of  heavy  ordnance,  which,  for  want  of 
animals,  the  men  themselves  were  obliged  to  draw,  by 
attaching  ropes  to  it.  Kit  Carson  did  not  return  with 
them,  for  it  was  considered  that  he  had  seen  service 
enough  for  the  present;  besides,  his  feet  were  badly 
swollen  and  inflamed  from  the  rough  usage  they  had 
recently  been  obliged  to  submit  to.  He  graphically 
described  the  position  of  General  Kearney,  so  that  the 
relief  party  could  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  him. 
He  remained  to  recruit  in  San  Diego ;  though,  had  the 
Commodore  expressed  the  least  wish  to  have  Kit  Car- 
son return,  every  man  who  knows  him  can  bear  wit- 
ness with  me  that  he  would  have  been  the  last  person 
to  object,  so  long  as  there  was  life  in  his  body.  Unused 
then  to  such  hardships  and  mental  excitements  on  land, 
as  was  his  more  experienced  companion,  Lieutenant 
Beale,  from  the  trials  of  the  service  performed,  became 
partially  deranged ;    and  for  treatment,  was  sent  on 


LIEUTENANT    BEALE    DERANGED.  299 

board  the  frigate  Congress,  which  ship  lay  in  the  har- 
bor, being  one  of  the  vessels  attached  to  the  Commo- 
dore's fleet.  Two  long  years  elapsed  before  the  gallant 
Lieutenant  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  this 
adventure,  which,  for  the  bravery  and  unselfishness 
evinced  in  its  planning,  and  the  boldness  with  which 
it  was  carried  out,  without  mentioning  the  good  results 
it  produced,  was  not  excelled  by  any  one  feat  performed 
during  the  Mexican  War.  Better  than  all,  had  these 
two  men  known  previously  the  poor  rewards  which  were 
afterwards  to  be  bestowed  upon  them  by  their  govern- 
ment for  this  heroic  deed,  I  hesitate  not  in  saying,  that 
it  would  have  had  no  effect  in  changing  their  purpose. 
The  re-inforcements  sent  out  to  meet  General  Kearney, 
by  traveling  both  by  day  and  night,  soon  reached  and 
released  him,  without  coming  in  contact  with  the  enemy. 
They  kept  a  bright  lookout  and  were  early  apprised, 
through  their  spies,  of  what  was  transpiring  among  the 
Americans ;  hence,  as  the  naval  brigade  drew  near,  they 
retreated.  The  road  being  now  clear,  General  Kear- 
ney, with  his  soldiers  and  marines,  marched  on  to  San 
Diego,  where  his  wounded  men  were  comfortably 
housed  and  received  the  attentions  of  skillful  surgeons. 


300        THE  CAPTURE  OF  LOS  ANGELOS. 


CHAPTER     XII. 

A  Command  of  Six  Hundred  Men  is  sent  against  Los  Angelos — The 
Mexican  Army  evacuates  the  Town — Its  Capture — Rumors  of  an 
Attack  to  be  made  on  Fremont's  Command — The  Mexicans  surrender 
— The  Winter  Quarters — Kit  Carson  is  ordered  to  carry  Dispatches 
overland  to  Washington — Lieutenant  Beale  accompanies  him — A  Night 
Attack  made  by  the  Indians — Arrival  in  the  United  States — Kit  Car- 
son's Introduction  to  Colonel  Benton  and  Mrs.  Fremont — Hospitality 
offered  to  him  at  Washington — Kit  Carson  receives  the  Appointment 
of  Lieutenant  in  the  Rifle  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army  from 
President  Polk — He  is  ordered  to  Carry  Dispatches  to  California — The 
Journey — A  Brush  with  the  Camanche  Indians — Arrival  at  Santa  Fe 
— More  Trouble  with  Hostile  Indians — Arrival  at  Los  Angelos — Dis- 
patches delivered — Kit  Carson  is  Assigned  to  do  Duty  with  the  Dra- 
goons— Is  ordered  to  Guard  Taj  on  Pass — The  Winter  spent  there — 
Is  ordered  again  to  Carry  Dispatches  to  Washington — -The  Journey 
and  its  Adventures — The  Return  to  New  Mexico 

One  month  elapsed  before  the  forces  of  the  United 
States  that  were  concentrated  at  San  Diego  were  en- 
tirely recruited,  and  in  fine  trim  for  taking  the  field 
again.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  a  command  of 
six  hundred  men  was  detailed  for  the  purpose  of  captur- 
ing Los  Angelos.  The  commanding  officers  of  this 
force  were  General  Kearney  and  Commodore  Stockton. 
At  Los  Angelos  was  assembled  the  main  strength  of  the 
Mexicans  then  in  California  ;  the  number  of  their  fight- 
ing men  was  about  seven  hundred.  Towards  this  town 
the  Americans  took  up  their  line  of  march,  and,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days,  they  arrived  within  fifteen  miles 
of  it.     The  Mexican  forces  had  taken  a  strong  position 


IN    WINTER    QUARTERS.  301 

on  a  hill,  near  by  which  they  had  pitched  their  tents 
and  strongly  fortified  their  camp.  Between  the  Ameri- 
cans' and  the  enemy's  camp  ran  a  small  river.  It  was 
decided  to  postpone  the  attack  until  the  following  day. 
Early  the  next  morning,  General  Kearney  ordered  two 
pieces  of  artillery  to  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
Mexican  position.  The  guns  were  so  well  and  success- 
fully served,  that  the  Mexicans  were  forced  to  break 
up  their  camp.  As  soon  as  this  state  of  things  became 
apparent,  General  Kearney  and  Commodore  Stockton 
crossed  the  river  and  marched  on  the  town.  On  enter- 
ing Los  Angelos,  they  found  that  it  had  been  evacuated 
by  the  Mexicans,  and  that  only  a  few  stragglers  re- 
mained in  or  near  the  place.  From  some  of  these  they 
learned  that  the  retreating  army  had  gone  to  attack 
Colonel  Fremont,  who,  with  a  force  of  four  hundred 
Americans  collected  in  Monterey,  was  also  on  the  march 
for  Los  Angelos.  It  turned  out  afterwards  that  the 
Mexicans  succeeded  in  finding  Colonel  Fremont,  but, 
for  unknown  reasons,  failed  to  give  him  battle,  as  they 
had  boasted  they  would ;  but,  instead,  they  gave  him 
the  preference  over  the  other  American  commanders 
by  surrendering  to  him.  Colonel  Fremont  continued 
his  journey,  and  finally  reached  Los  Angelos,  where  he 
and  all  the  officers  and  men  heretofore  spoken  of  as 
engaged  in  this  campaign,  rested  for  the  winter,  and 
managed  to  pass  the  time  very  agreeably,  considering 
their  remote  position.  Carson,  who  had,  for  a  great 
length  of  time,  been  rendering  valuable  services  to 
Kearney,  rejoined  Fremont,  when  that  officer  arrived 
in  town,  and  once  more  enrolled  himself  on  his  old 
commander's  muster  roll. 

We  have  said  that  the  cold  and  dreary  winter  days 


302  THE    GREEN-EYED    MONSTER. 

were  passed  at  Los  Angelos  as  agreeably  and  happily 
as  the  circumstances  of  the  case  would  permit.  This  is 
only  true  to  a  certain  extent.  It  was  at  Los  Angelos, 
and  during  this  winter,  that  the  seeds  of  discord  were 
first  sown  between  the  rival  commanders,  and  the  plot 
carefully  laid,  which  finally  led  to  Colonel  Fremont's 
court-martial.  Rank,  with  its  green-eyed  monster, 
jealousy,  which  is  ever  watching  with  a  restless  and 
caustic  determination  to  snatch  from  the  subaltern  his 
hard-earned  laurels,  was  actively  at  work  during  these 
winter  months.  By  the  programme,  cut  and  dried,  the 
ambitious  young  soldier,  who  was  nobly  breasting  the 
conflicts  against  the  enemies  of  his  country,  was  to  be 
summarily  put  down,  and  his  career  quickly  guillotined. 
These  ungenerous  plans  had  their  birth  and  were  care- 
fully fostered  at  Los  Angelos ;  but,  the  wise  decrees  of 
the  American  people,  ever  just  in  the  cause  of  truth, 
although  tardy,  came  at  last  to  the  rescue,  and  stamj^ed 
the  course  with  its  approval  and  complete  endorsement 
which  had  led  the  bold  Explorer  to  unfurl  the  standard 
of  his  country  over  the  modern  El  Dorado.  In  this  view 
the  course  of  the  Mexican  forces  at  Los  Angelos,  in  sur- 
rendering their  swords  to  Colonel  Fremont,  becomes 
significant.  A  brave  though  fallen  enemy,  seldom  fails 
to  admire  a  heroic,  chivalrous  and  discreet  victor.  The 
choice  here  j>lainly  indicated  between  Colonel  Fremont 
and  General  Kearney,  we  repeat,  is  sufficiently  signifi- 
cant. In  Colonel  Fremont  the  fallen  chieftains  of  the 
brave  Californian-Mexicans  discerned  all  the  qualities 
which  make  up  true  nobility  of  character.  Many  of 
the  men  under  him  were  well  known  to  the  Mexicans 
as  being  upright,  honorable  and  generous.  For  many 
years  they  had  lived  among  them.     Hence  we  discover 


.  -s 


POPULARITY  OF  FREMONT.  303 

the  reason  of  their  preference  in  laying  down  their 
arms  in  their  presence. 

Kit  Carson  took  no  active  part  in  these  unhappy  dif- 
ferences, but,  his  simple  action  in  leaving  General 
Kearney's  command  and  reenlisting  under  his  old 
commander  shows  plainly,  to  a  discerning  public,  that 
he  could  not  be  alienated  from  his  friend  by  acts  of 
injustice.  It  also  spoke  more  significantly  than  words 
that  he  adjudged  his  friend  to  have  performed  in  be- 
half of  his  country  meritorious  actions  and  great  ser- 
vice. Such  was  Kit  Carson's  view  ;  and  no  man  was 
capable  of  forming  a  better  judgment  in  the  premises 
than  he.  As  an  occupant  of  an  inferior  rank,  he  then 
kept  his  counsel  to  himself,  until  the  time  at  last  ar- 
rived when  he  could  fully  and  appropriately  express 
his  opinion,  though  that  opinion  he  was  well  aware  had 
been  rendered  entirely  unnecessary  by  the  honorable 
mention  since  attached  to  the  name  of  Fremont,  by  the 
highest  officer  in  the  American  service,  by  the  recom- 
mendation to  the  President  of  the  officers  of  the  court 
to  commute  the  sentence,  and  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States  in  appointing,  unsolicited,  the  court-mar- 
tialed Conqueror  of  California  to  the  high  and  important 
trust  of  commissioner  to  run  the  boundary  line  between 
the  United  States  and  Mexico,  and  finally  by  the  spon- 
taneous outburst  of  enthusiasm  which  greeted  the  name 
of  John  C.  Fremont,  from  around  the  firesides  of  the 
American  people,  when  his  name  was  placed  at  the 
head  of  one  of  the  great  political  parties  of  the  nation. 

It  is  not  for  or  against  regulations  that  these  remarks 
are  directed.  The  transactions  with  which  they  deal 
have  not  been  forgotten.  They  are  recorded  as  his- 
torical facts,  and,  as  such,  are  always  open  for  investi- 


304  CARSON    AND    LIEUTENANT    BEALE. 

gation  or  deductions.  In  the  month  of  March,  1847, 
Kit  Carson  was  ordered  to  carry  important  dispatches 
to  the  War  Department  at  Washington.  Lieutenant 
Beale,  who  was  still  a  great  invalid,  was  permitted  to 
accompany  him.  In  order  to  show  the  regard  which 
Kit  Carson  entertained  for  this  brave  officer,  and  also 
to  portray  to  the  reader  the  goodness  of  heart  which 
has  ever  been  the  actuating  impulse  in  all  of  Kit  Car- 
son's actions,  we  will  give  his  own  words  in  relating 
this  part  of  his  adventures :  "  Lieutenant  Beale  went 
with  me  as  bearer  of  dispatches  intended  for  the  Navy 
Department.  During  the  first  twenty  days  of  our 
journey,  he  was  so  weak  that  I  had  to  lift  him  on  and 
off  his  riding  animal.  I  did  not  think  for  some  time 
that  he  could  live ;  but  I  bestowed  as  much  care  and 
attention  on  him  as  any  one  could  have  done  under  the 
circumstances.  Before  the  fatiguing  and  dangerous 
part  of  our  route  was  passed  over,  he  had  so  far  re- 
covered as  to  be  able  to  take  care  of  himself.  For  my 
attention  (which  was  only  my  duty)  to  my  friend,  I 
was  doubly  repaid  by  the  kindness  shown  to  me  by  his 
family  while  I  staid  in  Washington,  which  was  more 
than  I  had  any  reason  for  expecting,  and  which  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  me."  On  the  river  Gila,  Kit 
Carson's  party  was  attacked  by  Indians  during  the 
night,  while  they  were  encamped.  These  savages 
threw  a  good  round  number  of  arrows  into  the  midst 
of  his  men,  which,  however,  did  no  damage,  as,  early 
in  the  commencement  of  the  assault,  he  had  directed 
them  to  hold  up  before  them  their  pack-saddles,  behind 
which  they  could  pretty  securely  conceal  themselves 
while  lying  upon  the  ground.  He  also  directed  the 
men  not  to  talk,  lest  they  should  indicate  their  posi- 


KIT    CARSON    IN    WASHINGTON.  305 

tions.  It  was  very  dark,  and  the  Indians,  from  the 
above  precautions  being  taken,  were  frustrated  in  their 
plans.  His  men  lay  very  still ;  and,  having  previously 
received  the  order  so  to  do,  they  awaited  the  near  ap- 
proach of  the  red  men,  when  they  were  to  use  their 
rifles  as  clubs.  The  reason  which  made  this  latter 
command  best  was,  because  no  man  could  see  to  shoot ; 
hence,  were  they  to  fire  at  random,  they  would  only 
expend  their  ammunition,  a  loss  they  were  in  no  situa- 
tion to  sustain.  However,  the  Indians  became  weary 
of  their  shooting  after  a  few  hours,  and  did  not  hazard 
a  close  attack,  but  went  away  to  parts  unknown. 

Kit  Carson  and  Lieutenant  Beale  arrived  at  Wash- 
ington in  the  following  June,  having  accomplished  their 
journey  overland,  a  distance  of  nearly  4,000  miles,  in 
about  three  months,  a  record  which  shows  that  they 
had  not  been  idle  while  on  the  route.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  Indian  attack  sustained  on  the  Gila,  they 
were  not  again  annoyed  by  the  red  men,  although  over 
the  vast  tract  of  wild  territory  which  they  had  traversed 
there  roam  thousands  of  savages  who  often,  for  the 
slightest  pretext,  and  frequently  without  any  reason 
whatever,  will  murder  the  unsuspecting  traveler,  as  it 
chances  to  please  them.  Hence,  to  accomplish  this 
journey,  it  was  not  only  necessary  to  know  the  direc- 
tion to  shape  their  course,  but  also  to  be  familiar  with 
the  haunts  and  habits  of  these  various  tribes,  in  order 
to  avoid  them.  All  of  this  knowledge  Kit  Carson,  the 
mainspring  of  this  little  party,  was  well  possessed  of, 
and,  as  a  matter  of  business,  guided  himself  and  men 
in  a  direct  and  safe  course. 

The  hardships  and  privations  of  this  trip  were  trivial 
affairs  when  compared  to  most  of  Kit  Carson's  previous 


306  WATCHFULNESS    IN    TIME    OF    DANGER. 

adventures,  and  not  considered  by  him  as  worthy  of 
mention.  Indeed,  Kit  Carson  was  so  hardened  in  all 
kinds  of  vicissitudes,  that  a  man,  in  his  eyes,  must  have 
stood  on  the  brink  of  death,  before  he  had  seen  much  real 
suffering  ;  but,  probably,  if  the  reader  had  been  one  of 
the  members  of  this  party,  he  would,  unless  equally 
experienced  in  Western  frontier  life,  have  considered 
that  he  had  seen  something  of  the  world,  and  the  rough 
side  of  it  at  that. 

It  requires  no  small  amount  of  courage  and  deter- 
mination to  start  out  with  but  a  handful  of  men  to 
perform  the  difficult  and  dangerous  task  of  threading 
the  American  continent  from  tide  to  tide,  even  at  the 
present  epoch ;  but,  twenty-five  years  ago,  there  were 
few  men  living  who  had  ever  performed  or  were  able 
to  perform  the  feat  at  all,  much  less  with  the  certainty 
and  speed  which  lay  within  the  power  and  experience 
possessed  by  Kit  Carson.  In  describing  these  trips, 
while  dictating  this  book,  he  spoke  of  them  as  lightly 
as  a  man  would  after  making  a  journey  of  a  few 
hundred  miles  in  a  railroad  car.  He  seemed  to  have 
acted  with  the  idea  that  this  duty  was  expected  of  him, 
and  it  required  but  the  official  orders  to  send  him 
bounding  over  the  country,  without  regard  to  obstacles 
or  dangers.  His  final  object  was  his  destination,  which, 
on  reaching,  he  was  ready  to  quit  at  a  moment's  warn- 
ing, with  as  much  sang  froid  as  a  Russian  courier  pos- 
sesses when  doing  his  master's  bidding  ;  yet,  so  cautious 
was  he  when  traveling,  that,  at  first,  to  a  new  com- 
panion, he  often  appeared  to  be  wanting  in  courage. 
Not  a  bush,  a  tree,  a  rock,  or  any  other  hiding-place  on 
his  path,  escaped  his  notice.  Towards  the  heavens,  in 
search  of  smoke  ascending  from,  or  crows,  as  they  hover 


A    GOOD    AND    FAITHFUL    SERVANT.  307 

about  Indian  encampments  which  are  deserted,  or  for 
ravens,  and  back  again  to  the  earth,  on  the  lookout 
for  moccasin  or  horse-tracks,  his  eyes  were  continually 
turning.  There  was  a  nervous  action  about  the  man 
that  showed  him  ever  alive  to  meet  and  be  ready  for 
any  emergency.  These  traits  were  sure  to  instill  con- 
fidence in  his  followers. 

On  starting  from  Los  Angelos,  Kit  Carson  took  but 
a  few  rations  of  provisions  with  him,  as  he  could  not 
burden  the  few  animals  he  had,  too  heavily ;  hence,  he 
was  compelled  to  depend  on  the  rifle  and  the  chances 
of  meeting  with  game.  This,  of  course,  is  always  an 
uncertain  mode  of  supporting  life,  and,  consequently, 
it  not  unfrequently  happened  that  the  party  were  out 
of  food  and  went  fasting;  yet,  not  a  murmur  was  heard. 
On  they  sped,  in  the  hopes  of  reaching  their  homes  and 
firesides,  where  kind  friends  were  awaiting  them,  and 
where  their  cares  and  troubles  would  be  buried  in  the 
past,  and  appear  like  dreams.  In  the  breast  of  the 
leader  of  this  expedition  there  was  throbbing  a  heart 
that  was  anxious  to  do  its  duty  well,  for  he  was  ap- 
proaching, not  his  family  circle,  but  instead,  the  fire- 
side of  strangers  to  whom  he  was  only  known  by  name. 
Yet,  in  the  common  cause  of  his  country's  honor,  he 
recognized  in  every  American  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact  his  true  friend,  and  therefore  he,  also,  was  very 
happy  as  he  neared  Washington.  There  he  looked 
confidently  forward  to  hear  the  words:  "Well  done, 
thou  good  and  faithful  servant."  At  St.  Louis,  Kit 
Carson  had  the  honor  of  an  introduction  to  the  Hon. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  who  was  greatly  interested  in  him, 
and  who  kindly  invited  him  to  make  his  house  in 
Washington  his  home  during  his  stay  there.     Of  this 


308  CARSON    MEETS    MRS.    FREMONT. 

invitation  Kit  Carson  availed  himself,  and  afterward 
considered  that  he  was  very  fortunate  in  doing  so,  for 
the  best  of  everything  was  heaped  upon  him,  while  he 
enjoyed  the  satisfaction  of  meeting  and  conversing  with 
the  great  men  of  his  country. 

Mrs.  John  C.  Fremont,  daughter  of  Colonel  Benton, 
and  wife  of  the  distinguished  explorer,  was  in  attend- 
ance at  the  railroad  depot  when  the  train  of  cars  in 
which  Kit  Carson  was  traveling  arrived  in  Washington. 
It  was  quite  late  in  the  evening  when  he  reached  the 
terminus  of  his  journey;  yet,  notwithstanding  this,  Kit 
had  hardly  landed  on  the  platform  of  the  depot,  before 
he  was  addressed  by  a  lady  who  said  that  she  knew 
him  from  her  husband's  descriptions  of  him,  and  that 
he  must  accept  the  hospitalities  of  her  father's  house. 

The  distinguished  father-in-law  of  John  C.  Fremont 
became,  from  the  time  of  their  first  meeting  in  St. 
Louis,  the  warm  friend  and  patron  of  Kit  Carson ; 
and,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  he  had  no  cause  to 
change  his  first  impressions  of  him.  There  was  not  a 
friendly  favor  within  his  power  which  would  not  have 
been  freely  given,  had  it  been  asked.  It  is  one  thing 
to  make  a  friend,  but  another  to  keep  him  ;  and  those 
who  knew  the  true  character  of  Mr.  Benton  are  cog- 
nizant of  the  fact  that  he  was  not  easily  won  ;  but, 
when  gained,  that  he  was  true  as  steel,  as  is  beauti- 
fully illustrated  by  the  able  and  devoted  manner  in 
which  he  stood  by  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson. 

It  is  indeed  a  valuable  possession  to  know  that  one 
has  friends  who  cannot  be  bought  by  wealth  or  other 
sordid  attractions ;  men  who  can  discern,  through 
the  rough  garb  of  the  working  as  well  as  thinking 
man,  those  noble  qualities  which  place  them  on  a  par. 


RECEPTION    IN    WASHINGTON.  309 

This  acquisition  Kit  Carson  held.  He  easily  made  a 
friend,  and  never  deserted  him ;  hence,  those  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  who  were  worthy  of  this 
name,  were  enrolled  on  his  side;  and  he  seldom  had 
occasion  to  call  a  man  his  enemy.  Kit  Carson  was  so 
embarrassed  and  overcome  by  the  expressions  of  kind- 
ness and  hospitality  which  greeted  his  first  arrival  at 
Washington,  that  he  could  hardly  essay  a  reply;  and 
yet,  he  was  almost  too  happy  at  the  opportunity  pre- 
sented of  accepting  Mrs.  Fremont's  invitation.  If 
there  was  anything  wanted  to  cement  Carson  more 
firmly  in  his  friendship  and  admiration  for  Colonel  Fre- 
mont, it  was  thus  to  know  his  accomplished  and  gifted 
lady.  The  situation  of  Jessie  Fremont  has  often  been 
comparable  with  that  of  the  noble-hearted  Lady  Frank- 
lin. Again  and  again  has  she  been  compelled  to  part 
from  her  husband  when  he  started  out  to  battle  in  the 
cause  of  science,  and  in  the  words  of  the  poet,  she  seem- 
ingly said  : 

"  Go,  wondrous  creature  !  mount  where  science  guides  ; 
Go,  measure  earth,  weigh  air,  and  state  the  tides." 

Kit  Carson  remained  some  time  in  "Washington  ;  but 
had  it  not  been  for  the  many  tokens  of  kindness  which 
he  there  received,  he  would  have  grown  weary  of 
the  restraints  of  civilization.  As  it  was,  he  continually 
longed  to  be  once  more  in  the  mountains  and  prairies. 
His  desire,  in  time,  was  granted  ;  for,  having  received 
the  appointment  of  lieutenant  in  the  rifle  corps  of  the 
United  States  army  from  President  Polk,  he  was  or- 
dered, as  bearer  of  dispatches,  to  return  across  the 
continent  from  whence  he  had  but  recently  come. 
Lieutenant  Beale  had  intended  to  return  with  him,  but 


310  RETURN    TO    NEW    MEXICO. 

did  not  eventually  proceed  any  further  than  St.  Louis. 
There  he  became  too  ill  to  continue  on  the  journey. 
After  arriving  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kit  Carson  was 
furnished  with  an  escort  of  fifty  men,  who  were  volun- 
teers in  the  war  which  was  then  being  carried  on  against 
Mexico.  With  his  usual  promptness  and  dispatch,  Kit 
Carson  was  soon  under  way  crossing  the  plains.  At 
Leavenworth  he  had  learned  that  the  Comanche  In- 
dians were  at  war  with  the  whites.  As  he  knew  them 
to  be  a  numerous  and  treacherous  tribe,  he  had  taken 
this  strong  escort  in  order  to  give  them  battle,  if  they 
should  be  anxious  for  it.  However,  he  arrived  at  a 
place  called  the  "  Point  of  Kocks,"  which  is  not  far  from 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  on  their  east  side,  without 
discovering  any  signs  of  these  Indians.  At  this  place 
they  made  their  appearance. 

The  "  Point  of  Rocks  "  appear  to  have  been  a  favorite 
place  of  resort  for  the  Indians  of  the  plains.  It  is  noto- 
rious as  being  one  of  the  most  dangerous  places  for  the 
traveler  in  all  the  far  West.  It  is  a  series  of  continu- 
ous hills,  which  project  out  on  the  prairies  in  bold  re- 
lief. They  end  abruptly  in  a  mass  of  rocks,  out  of 
which  gushes  a  cold  and  refreshing  spring,  which  is  the 
main  attraction  about  the  place.  The  road  winds  about 
near  this  point,  and,  therefore,  it  was  a  chosen  spot  for 
the  Indians  to  lurk,  in  order  to  catch  the  unwary  pil- 
grim. Several  encounters  with  the  savages  have  taken 
place  here,  which  has  caused  it  to  be  pointed  out  as 
the  scene  of  bloody  tragedies,  thereby  making  it  quite 
historical.  The  Indians  themselves  have  made  this 
spot  the  stage  on  which  has  been  enacted  several  des- 
perate battles.  In  making  the  journey  to  Santa  Fe, 
when  these  rocks   are  passed,  the  traveler  counts  his 


SKIRMISH    WITH    COMANCHES.  311 

march  as  being  drawn  to  a  close.  Government  troops 
on  the  lookout  for  Indians  on  the  plains,  rarely  fail, 
when  they  come  from  New  Mexico,  to  give  this  place  a 
visit. 

Kit  Carson  had  arrived  at  the  place  with  his  escort, 
and  was  about  establishing  his  camp.  His  men  were 
under  orders  to  keep  a  vigilant  watch  for  Indians,  while 
Kit  Carson's  restless  eye  was  searching  the  country  in 
every  direction  to  discover  their  signs.  About  three 
hundred  yards  distant  he  discovered  white  men,  and 
found  there  was  encamped  a  company  of  United  States 
volunteers,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Mulony. 
With  this  company  was  a  large  train  of  wagons  bound 
for  New  Mexico.  Kit  Carson  ordered  his  men  to  go 
into  camp.  The  night  passed  by  without  any  signs  of 
the  Indians;  but,  early  in  the  morning  of  the  subse- 
quent day,  as  Lieutenant  Mulony's  men  were  leading 
out  their  animals  to  picket  them  in  fresh  grass,  the 
savages  suddenly  made  their  appearance  and  began  an 
attack  upon  the  picketing  party,  capturing  all  their 
cattle  and  twenty-six  horses.  Mulony's  men  had  left 
their  rifles  in  camp,  and,  therefore,  in  order  to  escape  be- 
ing killed,  they  retreated  to  their  wagons.  The  cattle  in 
the  confusion  which  ensued,  turned  and  came  towards 
Kit  Carson's  camp.  He  and  his  men,  who  were  in- 
stantly on  the  alert,  made  an  unexpected  charge  upon 
the  Indians  and  recaptured  the  oxen.  During  the 
skirmish  which  ensued,  two  of  his  men  dismounted,  in 
order  to  be  more  certain  of  a  deliberate  aim,  but,  in  so 
doing,  they  accidentally  let  their  own  horses  go  loose, 
and  lost  them,  as  they  ran  away  with  those  that  were 
being  stampeded  by  the  red  men. 

In  this  affair  three  of  the  volunteers  were  wounded. 


312  DISAPPOINTED    BUFFALO    HUNTERS. 

With  the  two  horses  lost  by  Kit  Carson's  men,  twenty- 
eight  riding  animals,  belonging  to  the  United  States 
government,  were  stolen  by  this  band  of  Comanches. 
But,  had  it  not  been  for  Kit  Carson  and  his  men,  Lieu- 
tenant Mulony  would  have  lost  his  cattle  likewise. 

Young  oxen,  when  stampeded,  are  sometimes  lost 
by  the  Indians.  When  not  killed  by  wolves  they 
usually  join  with  the  herds  of  buffalo  and  soon  become 
wild.  In  this  state,  they  are  represented  as  being  quite 
fleet  of  foot.  More  generally  they  fall  a  prey  to  the 
wolves,  and,  sometimes,  again  into  the  hands  of  the 
savages.  A  party  was  crossing  the  plains  in  the  year 
1854  ;  the  advance  of  the  party  sent  back  word  that 
the  first  buffalo  was  in  sight.  Many  amateur  hunters 
eagerly  volunteered  for  the  chase,  and  soon  quite  a 
squad  of  men  were  traveling  at  a  good  round  gallop 
towards  the  supposed  game.  On  approaching  the 
game,  it  was  found  to  be  an  old  lame  ox,  which  had 
been  turned  out  by  some  caravan  to  die.  The  disap- 
pointment which  prevailed  in  this  crowd  of  neophyte 
hunters,  on  discovering  this  mistake,  can  be  better  im- 
agined than  described.  The  poor  ox,  apparently,  had 
no  idea  of  giving  up  the  ghost  quite  yet.  He  was  in 
good  health  and  spirits,  and  showed  signs  of  being 
pleased  to  see  a  white  man  again.  The  little  birds  of 
the  prairies  had  used  him  as  a  perch.  This  office  he 
appeared  quite  accustomed  to  perform,  for  he  did  not 
disturb  the  flock  that  was  then  occupying  his  back. 
How  he  had  escaped  the  wolves  is  a  miracle. 

From  signs  discovered  after  the  Indians  had  de- 
camped, it  became  evident  that  several  of  the  thieves 
had  been  mortally  wounded ;  but,  being  tied  on  their 
horses,  they  were  carried  out  of  sight  before  they  died. 


COMANCHE    HORSEMANSHIP.  313 

This  is  a  fair  sample  of  many  of  the  Indian  fights  which 
have  occurred,  and  are  yet  not  unfrequent,  on  the 
prairies  ;  the  object  of  the  savages  is  to  plunder,  there- 
fore an  unguarded  moment  is  selected  for  their  attacks. 
In  this  instance,  by  the  time  the  whites  had  got  their 
fire-arms  and  men  ready  to  commence  the  contest,  the 
Indians  had  perpetrated  their  intended  assault  and 
were  off. 

The  Comanches  are  excelled  by  no  men  in  the  world 
in  their  horsemanship,  not  excepting  the  famous  Cos- 
sacks of  Europe.  The  level  prairies  are  beautiful  fields 
for  them  to  act  on.  It  is  in  a  skirmish  similar  to  the 
one  we  have  endeavored  to  describe,  that  they  put 
these  qualifications  to  the  test.  The  arena  where 
these  scenes  are  enacted  is  a  very  undesirable  place 
for  a  mere  spectator.  Kit  Carson  and  party  resumed 
their  march  the  same  day,  and  arrived  safely  at  Santa 
Fe,  without  meeting  with  any  other  adventures.  At 
this  town  he  left  his  escort  of  fifty  volunteers,  and 
hired  sixteen  other  men  with  which  to  perform  the 
remainder  of  his  journey.  This  was  in  obedience  to 
the  orders  he  had  received  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  Pur- 
suing his  route  on  Muddy  Creek,  a  tributary  of  Virgin 
River,  he  came  upon  a  village  of  some  three  hundred 
Indians,  so  suddenly,  as  his  route  twisted  about  among 
the  hills,  that  he  had  to  make  a  bold  matter  of  it,  and 
go  into  camp,  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  "  talk."  Kit 
Carson  had  learned  some  time  before  that  these  very 
red  men  had  massacred  seven  Americans.  For  this 
reason  he  determined  not  to  trust  them,  even  if  they 
professed  friendship.  The  Indians  wished  to  come  into 
his  camp,  but  this  privilege  he  would  by  no  means 
grant  to  them.     He   posted  his  men  and  selected  a 


314  A    CASE    REQUIRING   NERVE. 

place  so  that  he  himself  could  talk,  and  at  the  same 
time  let  them  see  that  if  the  least  hostile  demonstration 
was  made  by  their  side,  it  would  be  answered  by  a  volley 
of  bullets  from  the  rifles  of  the  white  men.  Kit  Carson 
harangued  them  and  informed  them  that  he  knew  of 
the  murders  they  had  committed  on  his  people  during 
the  past  year.  He  told  them  that  they  bore  a  treach- 
erous character  and  could  not  be  treated  as  friends, 
and  wound  up  his  discourse  by  adding,  that  he  would 
not  allow  himself  to  be  deceived,  for  he  knew  that 
their  only  object  in  gaining  admission  into  his  camp 
was  to  repeat  their  bloody  acts.  He  now  gave  them 
a  limited  period  of  time  in  which  to  be  off,  at  the  ex- 
piration of  which,  several  lounged  about,  apparently 
doubting  his  words.  He  now  gave  the  order  to  fire. 
In  consequence,  a  few  shots  were  aimed  at  them,  which 
killed  one  and  wounded  three  or  four  others.  This  had 
the  tendency  to  hurry  the  movements  of  the  remain- 
der, who  retired  from  the  dangerous  proximity  to  his 
camp.  This  was  a  case  which  required  some  nerve 
and  great  experience  in  the  commander  of  the  little 
party.  Nothing  but  the  personal  courage  and  prompt- 
ness of  Kit  Carson  saved  his  command.  The  success 
of  fifteen  men  against  three  hundred  Indians  in  this 
manner,  is  chiefly  due  to  their  commander. 

The  party  proceeded  on  their  journey,  but  soon  were 
troubled  for  food.  Having  used  up  all  the  game  they 
could  find,  they  were  obliged  to  kill  two  mules,  on 
which  they  lived  until  they  arrived  at  Los  Angelos. 
Kit  Carson,  finding  that  the  officers  to  whom  he  was 
ordered  to  deliver  his  dispatches  were  at  Monterey, 
journeyed  thither,  and  having  reached  that  town  in 
safety,  gave  the  documents  to  Colonel  Mason,  then  of 


LIEUTENANT    IN    UNITED    STATES    AKMY.  317 

the  First  Regiment  of  United  States  dragoons,  who 
was  in  command.  Obeying  orders,  Kit  Carson,  now  an 
acting  lieutenant  in  the  United  States  army,  returned 
to  Los  Angeios  and  was  assigned  to  duty  in  the  com- 
pany of  United  States  dragoons  commanded  by  Captain 
Smith.  Kit  was  allowed  little  time  to  recruit,  but  his 
restless  disposition  did  not  ask,  nor  his  habits  require 
it ;  consequently,  he  remained  at  Los  Angeios  only  a 
short  period.  With  a  command  of  twenty-five  dragoons, 
he  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Tajon  Pass,  the  main  outlet 
through  which  hostile  Indians  went  out  of  California, 
bearing  the  proceeds  of  their  incursions,  such  as  cattle, 
horses,  sheep  and  captives.  Kit  Carson's  duty  in  this 
place  was  to  intercept  the  Indians  and  examine  their 
papers  and  cargoes.  He  spent  the  winter  in  doing 
much  good  in  this  service.  In  the  spring,  he  was  again 
ordered  to  proceed  overland  to  Washington,  with  dis- 
patches. An  escort  being  furnished  him,  he  was  soon 
under  way,  and  had  reached  Grand  River  without  en- 
countering any  serious  difficulty.  At  this  place  an 
accident  happened  to  his  party  while  crossing  the  river 
on  rafts. 

During  the  early  part  of  summer,  the  fording  of 
streams  which  have  their  source  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains is  no  safe  or  easy  task.  When  the  sun  and  the 
warm  south  winds  begin  to  melt  the  immense  piles  of 
snow  and  ice  in  the  mountains,  the  water  comes  tumbling 
down  in  torrents  ;  and,  having  overflowed  the  rivers' 
banks,  floods  the  adjacent  country.  By  this  means, 
new  gullies  and  ravines  are  continually  forming,  which, 
when  the  melting  process  ceases,  are  converted  into 
dry  beds.  With  this  rush  of  angry  water,  large  rocks 
and  masses  of  earth  are  swept  from  their  natural  seat, 


318  DANGEROUS    MOUNTAIN    STREAMS. 

leaving  a  wreck  behind  that  is  fearfully  grand  to  be- 
hold. The  roaring  of  these  torrents,  as  they  come  leap- 
ing past  and  over  every  obstacle,  resembles  a  low, 
rumbling  thunder,  which  is  reechoed  through  the  deep 
forests  and  canons.  Sometimes  travelers  are  compelled 
to  wait  weeks  before  these  rivers  fall  sufficiently  to 
allow  a  safe  transit.  Heavy  rains  have  the  same  effect 
to  enlarge  them ;  and,  in  one  instance,  a  bod}^  of  sol- 
diers, while  crossing  the  plains,  were  overtaken  by 
these  rains,  which  fell  with  such  rapidity  and  in  such 
quantity  as  to  make  the  level  prairies  almost  one  sheet 
of  water,  while  every  ravine  was  converted  into  a  river, 
swift  and  deep.  To  cross  these,  the  men  were  obliged 
to  use  their  best  exertions  with  very  poor  means  to 
guard  against  loss;  and,  even  with  the  best  care,  one 
man  was  drowned,  while  several  mules  shared  the  same 
fate. 

This  accident  crippled  the  resources  of  Kit  Carson's 
party  very  much,  and  caused  them  afterwards  great 
suffering.  The  accident  occurred  something  after  the 
following  manner.  One  division  of  the  men,  with  their 
leader  as  a  companion,  had  constructed  a  float  of  logs, 
on  which  they  had  crossed  the  stream  in  safet}' ;  but 
the  second  branch  of  the  party,  under  charge  of  Lieu- 
tenant Brewerton,  then  of  the  United  States  army,  and 
who  was  traveling  in  company  with  Kit  Carson,  were 
not  so  successful  with  their  raft ;  for,  no  sooner  did 
they  get  it  into  the  swift  current  than  it  became 
unmanageable,  and,  finally,  precipitated  its  contents, 
among  which  were  included  several  of  the  men  and 
their  luggage,  into  the  water.  The  wrecked  men,  with 
great  difficulty,  saved  their  lives  by  swimming  to  the 
shore  from  which  they  had  started.     The  day  was  far 


WRECKED   IN    GRAND    RIVER.  319 

spent,  and  no  attempt  to  succor  them  could  be  made 
that  evening  ;  so,  in  their  semi-state  of  nudity,  and 
without  the  means  of  making  a  fire,  they  passed  a 
miserably  cold  night ;  but,  early  the  next  morning,  one 
of  their  friends  recrossed  and  carried  them  an  axe,  by 
the  aid  of  which  a  new  raft  was  made,  on  which  they 
embarked  a  second  time,  and  were  soon  safe  with  their 
companions.  Among  the  very  useful  articles  that  were 
lost  by  this  mishap,  there  were  several  saddles  and  six 
valuable  rifles.  What  made  this  loss  peculiarly  un- 
pleasant was,  that  they  could  not  be  replaced  until  the 
party  could  reach  the  settlements.  The  owners  of  the 
saddles  were  now  in  a  sad  plight,  for,  neither  to  the 
rider  or  his  horse  is  it  a  very  pleasant  prospect  to 
make  a  long  journey  without  these  useful  articles. 
After  repairing  their  damages  as  best  they  could,  they 
struck  out  afresh.  Setting  aside  hunger  and  the  suffer- 
ing experienced  from  exposure  to  cold,  they  were  not 
again  incommoded  in  any  way  until  they  had  come  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  Mexican  towns.  Here  they  met 
several  hundred  Utah  and  Apache  Indians.  These 
red-skins  showed  some  warlike  symptoms  which  Kit 
Carson  did  not  in  the  least  fancy ;  but,  to  make  the 
best  of  his  situation,  he  ordered  his  men  to  post  them- 
selves in  a  neighboring  thicket  and  be  ready  to  act  on 
the  defensive.  Kit  Carson  then  informed  the  Indians 
that  they  must  keep  at  a  proper  distance,  or  otherwise 
he  would  direct  his  men  to  fire  into  them.  He  told 
them  that  if  they  were  disposed  to  be  friendly,  which 
they  professed  to  be,  towards  the  white  men,  they 
could  show  it  by  leaving  and  not  annoying  his  party, 
who,  being  nearly  naked  and  in  a  destitute  condition, 
could  give  them  nothing.     Evidently  the  savages  saw 


320  kit's  love  for  his  family. 

this  was  true,  and  so  did  not  hazard  a  fight,  but  de- 
parted. Kit  Carson  traveled  that  night  ten  miles 
further.  It  was  late  in  the  day  when  he  again  ven- 
tured on  the  trail,  but  this  distance  was  all  that  his 
animals  could  accomplish  without  food  and  rest,  for 
they  were  fatigued  and  poor.  His  object  in  thus 
resuming  his  march  was  to  separate  himself  and  men 
as  far  as  he  could  from  the  Indians,  fearing  that  they 
might  change  their  minds  and  conclude  to  attack  him. 
Being  too  weak,  his  party  was  in  no  condition  for  an 
engagement.  At  the  end  of  this  distance,  he  for- 
tunately met  with  a  party  of  volunteers,  who  had  been 
out  in  search  of  these  very  savages,  in  order  that  they 
might  punish  them  for  some  rascality  they  had  been 
recently  guilty  of.  The  next  day  Kit  Carson  reached 
Taos,  where  he  allowed  himself  a  short  respite  for  the 
purpose  of  recruiting,  and  also  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
a  visit  to  his  family  and  friends.  These  were  privileges 
which,  during  his  life  in  the  mountains,  had  been  seldom 
granted  to  him,  though  his  feelings  of  attachment  for 
relatives  and  intimate  acquaintances  are  not  exceeded 
by  those  of  any  living  man.  Indeed,  his  love  for  his 
children  is  unbounded.  We  have  several  times  heard 
him  assert,  that  if  there  was  any  one  thing  that  could 
make  him  a  coward,  it  would  be  the  thoughts  of  his 
little  ones.  When  his  party  had  sufficiently  recruited, 
Kit  Carson  left  Taos  and  proceeded  to  Santa  Fe.  At 
this  time,  Colonel  Newby,  of  the  Illinois  Volunteers, 
was  in  command  of  the  United  States  forces  stationed 
there.  This  gentleman  informed  Kit  Carson  that  his 
appointment  as  lieutenant,  made  by  President  Polk, 
was  not  confirmed  by  the  United  States  Senate.  Many 
of  Kit's  friends,  on  hearing  this,  came  to  him  and  ad- 


KIT    AS    A   MAX    OF    HONOR.  321 

vised  him  not  to  carry  the  dispatches  any  further,  but, 
instead,  they  counseled  him  to  deliver  them  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  post  he  was  at,  advising  him 
that  he  was  doing  duty  as  an  officer  in  the  army  and 
yet  was  not  recognized  by  Government.  The  language 
used  by  Kit  Carson  on  this  occasion,  in  reply  to  his 
friends,  is  so  much  to  his  credit  and  is  so  like  the  man, 
that  every  American  citizen  ought  to  know  it.  It  was 
as  follows  :  "  I  was  intrusted  with  these  dispatches, 
having  been  chosen  in  California,  from  whence  I  come, 
as  the  most  competent  person  to  take  them  through 
safely.  I  would  try  to  fulfill  this  duty,  even  if  I  knew 
it  would  cost  me  my  life.  It  matters  not  to  me,  while 
I  am  performing  this  service  for  my  country,  whether 
I  hold  the  rank  of  a  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army,  or  am  known  merely  as  an  experienced  moun- 
taineer. I  have  gained  some  little  honor  and  credit 
for  the  manner  in  which  I  have  always  conducted  my- 
self when  detailed  on  any  special  and  important  busi- 
ness, and  I  would  on  no  account  now  wish  to  forfeit  the 
good  opinion  formed  of  me  by  a  majority  of  my  country- 
men because  the  United  States  Senate  did  not  deem  it 
proper  to  confer  on  me  an  appointment  which  I  never 
solicited,  and  one  which,  had  I  been  confirmed,  I  would 
have  resigned  at  the  termination  of  the  war." 

The  reason  why  the  wishes  of  the  President  were 
not  carried  out  by  Congress  in  this  instance,  we  know 
not ;  but,  certain  it  is,  that  the  lucky  aspirant  who 
eventually  received  this  office  at  the  hands  of  the  same 
United  States,  had  no  credentials  to  present  that  could, 
as  far  as  merit  was  concerned,  compare  with  those  held 
by  Christopher  Carson.  It  is  fair  to  infer,  that  Kit 
Carson  had  but  few  friends  at  court,  though  it  cannot 


322  HOW   KIT    TAKES    DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

for  one  moment  be  supposed  that  his  name  was  not 
well  known  at  Washington,  when  for  five  long  years  he 
had  been  the  right-hand  man  of  John  C.  Fremont  in 
his  explorations.  The  privations  and  the  hardships 
which  that  commander  and  his  guide  willingly  submit- 
ted to  during  those  years,  it  is  impossible  to  describe 
through  reports.  The  whole  newspaper  press  of  the 
United  States,  together  with  several  volumes  of  well- 
written  books,  have  attempted  it,  but  all  have  failed  in 
giving  a  true  picture  of  the  reality.  These  things 
availed  nothing  when  brought  in  contact  with  political 
moves ;  and  Kit  Carson  was  doomed  to  go  by  the  board. 
He  had,  however,  met,  during  his  eventful  life,  with  too 
many  disappointments  to  be  much  chagrined  at  this, 
and  we  find  him,  soon  afterwards,  making  inquiries  in 
relation  to  the  state  of  feeling  among  the  Indians  who 
inhabited  the  country  through  which  he  had  to  pass. 

The  appointment  of  civilians  to  the  responsible  du- 
ties of  a  command  in  the  United  States  army  has,  of 
late  years,  become,  in  many  instances,  very  unfortu- 
nate. Perhaps  it  is  this  that  has  taught  our  legislators 
a  lesson.  But  there  is  a  truth  which  lies  above  this 
difficulty.  The  severe  ordeal  necessary  to  be  gone 
through  with  at  West  Point,  in  order  to  make  military 
men  of  the  proper  standard,  has  very  naturally  raised 
a  jealousy  between  these  two  classes  of  men.  This  is 
very  healthy  for  the  country,  as  it  stimulates  each  to 
noble  exertions.  In  order  to  make  the  army  less  se- 
cluded, it  is  necessary  to  appoint  a  certain  percentage 
of  men  from  the  walks  of  private  life,  and  therefore 
the  most  meritorious  should  be  selected.  West  Point 
men,  as  a  body,  are  a  great  credit  to  our  country ;  and, 
as  a  scientific  corps,  they  cannot  be  surpassed ;  but  the 


KIT    AGAIX    ON    THE    MARCH.  323 

fact  is  incontrovertible  that  many,  if  not  most  of  the 
leading  officers  of  the  United  States  army,  are  self- 
educated,  and  have  risen  to  their  exalted  positions  by 
untiring  industry  and  distinguished  services.  For  fron- 
tier work,  men,  to  be  capable  of  taking  command,  are 
required  to  have  great  experience  in  Indian  strategy, 
and  to  become  accustomed  to  endure  privations  and  vi- 
cissitudes. These  cannot  be  taught  by  schools  or  books. 
For  these  positions,  those  are  best  fitted  who  have  been 
trained  to  the  mountains  from  earliest  boyhood,  and 
where  is  the  man  in  North  America  who  has  battled  in 
this  service  longer  or  more  successfully  than  Christo- 
pher Carson  ?  But  Kit  Carson  could  see  no  reason  why 
the  votes  of  the  United  States  Senators,  refusing  to 
confirm  the  President's  effort  to  reward  him  for  his  ser- 
vices to  his  country,  should  cause  him  for  one  moment 
to  swerve  from  his  duty.  He  pocketed  at  once  his  dis- 
appointment, and  went  to  work.  Colonel  Newby  in- 
formed him  that  the  Camanches  had  of  late  been  very 
hostile,  and  that  they  were  then  roaming  in  war  par- 
ties, numbering  from  two  to  three  hundred,  scattered 
along  the  old  Santa  Fe  road,  on  which  their  depreda- 
tions had,  so  far,  been  mostly  committed.  On  learn- 
ing this,  Kit  Carson  determined  to  make  a  trail  of 
his  own,  and  endeavor  thus  to  avoid  them.  He  re- 
duced the  number  of  his  escort  to  ten  trusty  followers. 
With  them,  he  returned  to  Taos,  and  after  a  halt  there 
of  two  days,  once  more  was  on  the  march.  At  first,  he 
traveled  to  the  northward,  until  he  reached  a  tract  of 
country  which  these  Indians  seldom  visited ;  then, 
changing  his  route  by  compass,  he  struck  the  Bijoux 
River,  which  is  a  tributary  of  the  Platte  River,  and  fol- 
lowed it  down  stream.     At  about  twenty-five  miles 


324  KIT    SETS    OUT    FOR   WASHINGTON. 

from  the  mouth  of  the  Bijoux,  he  quit  that  stream,  and 
struck  out  diagonally  across  the  prairies,  and  soon 
reached  the  Platte  itself,  down  which  he  journeyed 
to  Fort  Kearney.  Here  he  again  changed  his  course 
for  the  Republican  Fork.  On  leaving  this  last-named 
stream,  he  traveled  direct  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  finally 
reaching  that  post  with  his  men  and  animals  in  fine 
condition,  for  the  journey  had  been  as  pleasant  as  could 
have  been  expected.  Here  he  left  his  escort,  and  set 
out  alone  for  Washington.  After  reaching  the  land  of 
railroads  and  steamboats,  he  was  but  a  few  days  in 
bringing  the  latter  part  of  his  journey  to  an  end. 
Handing  his  dispatches  to  the  proper  authorities,  Kit 
Carson  turned  right  about  and  made  his  way  to  New 
Mexico,  where  he  arrived  in  the  month  of  October, 
1848. 

It  will  be  seen,  by  following  on  a  map  the  route 
which  Kit  Carson  planned  on  this  occasion,  that  it  was 
very  circuitous,  and  led  him  a  great  distance  out  of  his 
way.  Indeed  he  was,  at  times,  far  beyond  the  roam- 
ing grounds  of  the  Camanches,  but  this  was  necessary. 
He  was  not,  however,  free  from  danger,  but  was 
obliged  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  their  allies,  the 
Kiowas,  who  are  usually  at  war  whenever  the  Caman- 
che  nation  is.  His  trail  led  him  through  a  country 
which  is  celebrated  as  abounding  in  game,  and  also  in 
being  well  watered ;  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  desid- 
eratum of  finding  grass  of  a  good  quality,  whenever  he 
desired  it,  was  proved  a  valuable  assistant  on  the  march. 
It  may  be  well  to  mention  here,  that  one  of  the  most 
curious  of  the  phenomena  of  the  plains,  to  the  inex- 
perienced traveler,  are  those  mirages  which,  on  every 
clear  day,  are  sure  to  meet  and  delude  his  eyes.     So 


A    GKAND    SIGHT.  325 

wonderful  are  these  deceptions,  that  often  the  vision 
leads  one  to  believe  he  is  beholding,  in  the  distance, 
a  beautiful  city  which  is  located  on  the  banks  of  some 
attractive  lake.  The  outlines  of  the  palaces,  the  spires 
of  cathedrals,  and  even  the  lesser  buildings  themselves, 
all  surrounded  with  trees,  bearing  luxuriant  and  green 
foliage,  together  form  an  imaginary  picture  which 
throws  into  the  background  any  of  the  realities  which 
are  the  work  of  man.  The  shading  is  oftentimes  very 
captivating,  and  on  it  the  traveler  can  be  entertained 
for  hours,  until  a  change  in  the  rays  of  light  or  inter- 
vening clouds,  or  else  by  approaching  the  delusion 
itself,  the  magic  scene  fades  away.  A  mirage  and  a 
prairie  on  fire,  seen  by  night,  the  one  a  delusion,  the 
other  a  fearful  reality,  are  two  of  the  grandest  sights 
to  be  seen  in  the  far  West ;  we  might  add,  on  the 
American  continent. 

19 


326  DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


OHAPTEE    XIII. 

Kit  Carson  at  his  Home — The  Apache  Indians  become  Hostile — An  Ex- 
pedition sent  against  them — It  is  not  Successful — Another  is  organ- 
ized, with  which  Kit  Carson  goes  as  Guide — Two  Indian  Chiefs 
captured — Other  Incidents  of  the  Trip — Colonel  Beall  attempts  to  force 
the  Indians  to  give  up  Mexican  Captives — Two  Thousand  Savages  on 
the  Arkansas  River — The  Visit  to  them — Kit  Carson  emigrates  and 
builds  a  Ranche  at  Rayado — Description  of  the  Valley — The  Massa- 
cre of  a  Santa  Fe  Merchant — His  Wife  is  made  Prisoner — The  Expe- 
dition sent  to  rescue  her — The  Indians  overtaken — Bad  Counsel  and 
Management — The  Commanding  Officer  Wounded  —  Mrs.  White's 
Body  found — Severe  Snow  Storm  on  the  Plains — One  Man  frozen  to 
Death — Kit  Carson  returns  to  Rayado — The  Occupation  of  a  Farmer 
resumed — The  Apaches  steal  from  the  Settlers  nearly  all  of  their  Ani- 
mals— Kit  Carson  with  thirteen  others  in  Pursuit — The  Surprise — A 
running  Fight — The  Animals  recovered — A  gallant  Sergeant  and  his 
Fate — Kit  Carson  and  Goodel  go  on  a  Trading  Expedition  to  meet 
California  Emigrants  at  Fort  Laramie — Humorous  Adventures — The 
Dangers  that  beset  the  Road  to  New  Mexico — Hair-breadth  Escape — 
Arrival  at  Taos. 

Being  comfortably  housed  in  his  own  pleasant  home 
at  Taos,  Kit  Carson  made  up  his  mind  to  treat  himself 
to  a  more  lengthy  stay  there  than  he  had  for  some 
time  enjoyed.  While  he  was  quietly  enjoying  the 
pleasures  of  home,  active  operations  were  transpiring 
about  him,  for  the  neighboring  Indians  had  dug  up  the 
tomahawk  and  buried  the  calumet,  and  were  holding  in 
defiance  the  United  States  forces,  which  had  been  sta- 
tioned in  New  Mexico  to  protect  its  inhabitants.  Col- 
onel Beall  was  at  that  time  commanding  officer  of  the 
district,  and  had  established  his  head-quarters  at  Taos. 


DESCRIPTION    OF   THE   APACHES.  327 

The  colonel,  soon  after  assuming  the  command,  being 
a  resolute  man,  saw  that  there  was  but  one  way  to 
deal  with  these  Indians,  and  that  was  to  bring  them  to 
a  strict  account,  and  make  them  amenable  for  their 
many  crimes.  This  tribe  of  Apaches  has  given  the 
government  of  the  United  States  almost  as  much 
trouble  as  have  the  Seminoles  in  Florida,  and  I  hesi- 
tate not  in  saj'ing,  that  before  they  are  exterminated, 
which  is  the  only  sure  plan  of  making  a  peace  with 
them,  they  will  have  surpassed  their  red  brethren  of  the 
swamps  of  the  South  in  the  number  and  enormity  of 
their  crimes.  Before  New  Mexico  came  under  the  ju- 
risdiction of  the  United  States,  the  Apaches,  for  many 
years,  had  committed  all  kinds  of  heinous  offences 
against  the  Mexicans  ;  and,  for  a  period  of  ten  years 
after  that  event,  these  same  savages  were  continually 
on  the  war  path,  notwithstanding  military  expeditions, 
one  after  another,  were  organized  and  sent  out  against 
them.  Their  mountain  retreats  are  almost  inaccessible 
to  white  men,  while  the  Indians,  apparently,  play  about 
in  them  like  rabbits.  The  amount  of  physical  endur- 
ance and  the  length  of  the  journeys  these  red  men  can 
make,  appear  very  astonishing  to  one  not  accustomed 
to  them.  The  Apaches,  as  an  Indian  race,  are  not 
wanting  in  bravery,  the  best  evidence  of  which  state- 
ment is,  that  nearly  all  their  warriors  die  in  battle. 
Their  country  is  the  healthiest  in  America.  Besides 
waging  war  against  the  whites  and  Mexicans,  they 
have  their  differences  to  settle  with  their  neighboring 
tribes,  with  whom  they  are  punctilious  in  vindicating 
their  national  honor.  Colonel  Beall  commenced  his 
operations  against  these  Indians  by  dispatching  a  jun- 
ior officer,  backed   by  a  strong  force,  with  orders  to 


328  A    SAVAGE    WAR    CHIEF. 

pursue,  overtake,  and  chastise  them.  This  expedition 
started ;  but,  on  coming  to  the  mountains,  the  guides 
reported  that  there  was  too  much  snow  on  them  for 
the  command  to  pass  through  in  safety ;  so  the  under- 
taking was  given  up,  and  the  men  were  marched  back 
to  Taos. 

The  most  famous  war  chief  of  the  Apaches,  during 
these  troubles,  was  called  by  the  Mexicans  Chico  Ve- 
lasques,  and  his  name,  for  many  years,  was  a  terror  to 
the  surrounding  country.  His  savage  brutality  knew 
no  bounds,  and  he  was  truly  in  his  element,  only  when 
he  was  tearing  the  bloody  scalp  from  his  half-lifeless 
victim.  He  was  the  sworn  enemy  of  the  Americans 
and  Mexicans,  and  his  hunting-knife  was  rarely  clean 
of  human  blood,  until  his  cruel  life,  by  the  wrise  decrees 
of  an  all-seeing  Providence,  was  suddenly  cut  short. 
He  fought  against  his  disease  (small-pox)  with  that 
■  rashness  that  had  been  his  ruling  spirit  through  life, 
and  thus  ingloriously  terminated  his  days.  The  pride 
of  this  man  was  to  strut  through  the  Mexican  towns 
and  gloat  over  his  many  crimes.  To  the  gazing  crowTd, 
he  would  point  out  the  trophies  of  his  murders,  which 
he  never  failed  to  have  about  him.  To  his  fringed 
leggins  were  attached  the  phalanges  (or  finger  bones) 
of  those  victims  whom  he  had  killed  with  his  own 
hands.  On  the  one  side,  he  proclaimed  to  his  auditors, 
were  the  fingers  of  the  Mexicans,  while  on  the  other, 
were  the  same  tokens  from  the  Americans ;  and  it  gave 
him  great  delight,  ironically,  to  dwell  upon  the  latter 
name.  With  whip  in  hand,  he  struck  out  right  and 
left  when  anything  displeased  him.  He  met,  one  day, 
more  than  his  match,  in  the  person  of  the  famous  Mex- 
ican  hunter,  Armador  Sanchez,  of  whom  we  have  pre- 


A   BOLD    INDIAN    CHIEF.  329 

viously  spoken.     The  circumstances  of  this  rencounter 
were  as  follows  :  The  bold  Indian,  with  but  few  follow- 
ers, was  on  a  visit  of  pleasure  to  the  Mexican  town  of 
Culebro.     He  had  agreed  to  a  temporary  peace,  to  suit 
his  convenience  and  ends  ;  and,  taking  advantage  of 
it,  he  made  his  appearance  in  the  settlements,  to  lord 
it  over  the  peaceable  inhabitants.     After  indulging  in 
a  little  fire-water,  his  wicked  propensities  could  be  con- 
trolled no  longer,  and  broke  forth  in  minor  cruelties. 
At  last  he  found  himself  in  the  house  belonging  to  San- 
chez, who  was  quietly  conversing  with  his  aged  father, 
for  whom  he  had  great  veneration,  and  also  with  his 
son.     The  Indian   peremptorily  demanded   that  some 
whiskey  should  be  given  him.     He  was  informed  by 
Sanchez   that  he  did  not  keep  the  article.     A  second 
demand  was  now  made,  with  the  threat  that  if  it  was 
not  forthcoming  immediately,  he  would  whip  the  per- 
son who  refused  him.     This  had  the  effect  of  bringing 
Sanchez  to  his  feet,  when  the  following    colloquy  in 
Spanish,   between   him    and    the    Indian,   transpired : 
"  Chico  Velasques,  you  have  long  been  accustomed  to 
treat  our  people  almost  as  you  please.     You  have  rob- 
bed and  murdered  us  at  your  will,  notwithstanding  we 
have  given  you  no  cause  thus  to  act.     Had  you  asked 
for  bread,  I  would  have  given  it  to  you,  for  the  door 
of  my  house  is  always  open  to  the  friendly  red  man ; 
but,  as  for  whiskey,  you  can  have  none  from  my  hands. 
Raise  that  whip  but  once  to  strike  me,  and  I  will  dash 
your  brains  out  with  this  mass  of  lead."     Suiting  his 
actions  to  his  words,  Sanchez  drew  forth  from  the  pocket 
of  his  hunting-shirt  a  slung  shot  that  weighed  nearly 
four  ounces,  which  he  always   carried  to  dispatch  his 
game  with  when  it  was  in  the  last  agonies  of  death. 


330  DEFEATED. 

With  uplifted  hand,  the  Indian  hesitated ;  for,  he  knew 
the  character  of  the  man  who  stood  before  him,  as  they 
had  hunted  together  during  many  moons  gone  by,  on 
the  same  mountains  and  on  the  same  trail.  At  last, 
using  his  own  savage  dialect,  in  order  that  his  words 
could  not  be  understood  by  others  about  him,  the  sav- 
age answered  the  Mexican  hunter  by  saj-ing, "  that  by 
chance  they  might  some  day  meet  again ;"  a  threat 
which  fell  harmlessly  at  the  feet  of  Sanchez.  As  he 
took  his  departure,  the  chief  added,  in  Spanish,  "I  will 
tell  these  things  to  Kit  Carson,"  as  if  further  attempt- 
ing to  intimidate  the  hunter;  but  Sanchez  knew  that 
his  own  and  Carson's  opinions  were  the  same  in  regard 
to  this  man;  therefore  he  smiled  at  the  rascal's  knavery. 
Chico  Velasques  was  followed  in  his  chieftainship  by 
Blanco,  who  did  his  utmost  to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of 
his  illustrious  predecessor ;  but,  he  was  not  so  cunning, 
and  was  less  successful  in  his  encounters  with  the 
Americans  and  Mexicans,  and  therefore  had  not  that  in- 
fluence with  his  tribe  which  the  former  possessed.  Still, 
he  performed  his  quantum  of  mischief,  and  yet  lives  to 
play  his  part  in  the  great  drama  of  Indian  life.  An 
Apache  Indian  is  rather  small  in  stature,  but  everything 
about  him  denotes  symmetry  and  strength.  His  limbs 
are  almost  straight,  and  their  muscles  are  as  hard  as 
iron.  The  elasticity  of  his  movements,  when  in  the 
least  excited,  shows  a  high  degree  of  physical  training. 
His  coal-black  eye  exhibits  an  amount  of  treachery 
rarely  seen  elsewhere,  proving  the  truth  of  the  Chinese 
adage,  that  "  the  tongue  may  deceive,  but  the  eye  can 
never  play  the  rogue." 

But  to  return  to  the  narrative.     The  commanding; 
officer  of  the  party  sent  out  against  these  Indians,  on 


COLONEL  BEALL  TAKES  COMMAND.       331 

arriving  again  at  Taos,  reported  to  Colonel  Beall  that 
the  reason  he  had  returned  was  because,  at  the  present 
time,    it  was   impracticable   to    cross    the    mountains. 
That  brave  and  experienced  officer  replied,  "  that  there 
Avas  no  such  word  as  impracticable  in  the  soldier's  vo- 
cabulary, and  that  nothing  ought  to  be  impossible  for  the 
First  Regiment  of  United  States  Dragoons  to  accom- 
plish."    Suiting  his  actions  to  his  words,  Colonel  Beall 
reorganized  the  command,  took  charge  of  it  himself,  and 
employed  Kit  Carson  as  his  guide.     When  everything 
was  in  proper  trim,  this  expedition  set  out,  and  after 
surmounting   many    obstacles    and    privations,   finally 
accomplished  the  feat  of  crossing  the  snow-clad  moun- 
tains, and  after  a  long  and  fruitless  search  for  the  In- 
dians, the  men  were  obliged   to  turn   about,  because 
their  stock  of  provisions  was  running  low.      As  the 
command    emerged    through   the   "Sangre  de  Christo 
Pass,"  on  their  return  route,  they  came  suddenly  into 
view  of  a  village  of  Apaches.     As  soon  as  the  Indians 
were  discovered  the  charge  was  sounded,  but  the  animals 
of  the  dragoons  were  too  much  jaded  to  obey  the  sum- 
mons with  the  celerity  wished  for  by  their  riders ;  the 
result  was  that,  besides  a  considerable  amount  of  plun- 
der, only  two  persons  were  taken,  but  they,  fortunately, 
proved  to  be  no  less  than  two  important  chiefs.     In  or- 
der to  impress  these  Indians  with  the  fairness  and  lib- 
erality which  his  government  wished  to  show  to  the 
red  men,  after  a  long  talk,  in  which  the  colonel  exacted 
promises  of  good  behavior,   he   let  the   prisoners  go. 
They  departed,  to  forget  as  quickly  as  possible  all  their 
vows  and  promises ;  for,  seemingly,  they  will  act  in  no 
other  way  than  as  their  own  savage  instinct  teaches. 
After  this  affair,  Colonel  Beall  made  a  direct  march  for 


33'J  INDIANS    STEALING    CHILDEEN. 

Taos,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  attending  to 
the  ordinary  duties  of  his  garrison. 

In  the  treaty  between  the  United  States  and  New- 
Mexico,  entered  into  at  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War? 
a  clause  was  inserted  binding  the  former  to  turn  over  to 
the  latter  all  the  Mexican  captives  then  held  by  the  In- 
dians who  inhabited  territory  belonging  to  the  first  named 
government.  The  carrying  out  of  this  provision  of  the 
treaty  involved  the  United  States  government  in  a 
large  and  constant  bill  of  expense.  This  was,  undoubt- 
edly, unavoidable,  for  even  had  the  clause  not  been  in- 
serted in  the  treaty,  the  maintenance  of  about  the  same 
frontier  military  forces  would  have  been  necessary.  It 
would  have  proved  a  difficult  matter  to  carry  out  this 
treaty  to  the  letter. 

If  it  had  been  so  carried  out  to  the  letter,  the  Ca- 
manches  would  have  been  great  sufferers,  for  at  least  one- 
third  of  the  blood  that  now  runs  in  their  veins  is  Mexi- 
can. During  the  last  half  century,  and  perhaps  longer, 
they  have  been  accustomed  to  make  annual  visits  into 
the  Mexican  settlements  of  Old  Mexico.  The  object 
of  these  hostile  incursions  has  ever  been  to  load  them- 
selves with  plunder.  They  steal  all  the  horses  that 
fall  in  their  wray,  and  also  take  for  captives  as  many 
young  children  as  they  can  lay  hands  on.  The  latter 
are  brought  np  in  true  Indian  style,  and,  having  cast  off 
all  remembrance  of  their  former  habits  and  friends,  they 
gradually  become  the  wild  men  of  the  plains.  The  fe- 
male captives,  on  arriving  at  the  suitable  age,  are  married 
to  the  young  warriors  of  the  tribe,  and  thus  the  true  In- 
dian stock,  becoming  amalgamated  with  the  Mexico- 
Spanish  blood,  is  fast  becoming  degenerated.  The 
reason,   therefore,  why  the   fulfillment  of  this  treaty 


INDIANS    IN    COUNCIL.  333 

would  have  militated  strongly  against  the  Camanche 
Indians  especially,  is  clearly  apparent. 

In  the  following  February,  Colonel  Beall  learned 
that  on  the  Arkansas  River  there  were  congregated  a 
large  body  of  Indians,  who  had  quite  a  number  of  Mexi- 
cans in  bondage.  He  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  visit 
these  savages  and  endeavor  to  have  them  deliver  up 
all  such  captives,  using  peaceable  means  to  accomplish 
this  result  in  the  first  instance  ;  and,  should  they  fail, 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  resort  to  more  forcible  and 
potent  arguments.  With  this  determination,  and  with 
two  companies  of  dragoons  to  back  him  and  Kit  Car- 
son as  his  guide,  he  set  out  on  his  mission.  In  due 
time  he  reached  the  Arkansas,  and  there  found  congre- 
gated four  tribes  of  Indians,  who  numbered  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  two  thousand  souls.  Their  object  in  thus  coming 
together  was  to  have  a  grand  council  and  lay  out  plans 
for  the  future,  and  also  to  meet  their  agent.  This  agent 
informed  the  colonel  that,  considering  the  present  state 
of  ill  feeling  existing  among  these  Indians  towards  the 
whites,  it  would  be  useless  to  make  the  demand  for  the 
prisoners ;  and  as  to  using  force,  it  would  almost  cer- 
tainly prove  a  failure,  when  such  a  large  number  of 
well  armed  warriors  were  arrayed  against  him.  It  re- 
quired a  great  deal  of  persuasion  to  bring  the  colonel 
around  to  this  mode  of  thinking  ;  but,  at  last  he  yielded 
to  the  advice  of  his  friends  and  concluded  to  make  no 
demonstration  against  the  Indians  at  the  present  time, 
concluding,  as  his  anger  cooled,  that  it  was  the  wisest 
policy  to  await  a  more  favorable  opportunity,  when  a 
treaty  could  be  made  with  them,  in  which  there  could 
be  an  article  inserted  that  would  stipulate  for  the  res- 
toration of  the  captives. 


334  THE    VALLEY    OF    RAYADO. 

In  parting  with  these  red  men  without  accomplishing 
the  main  object  for  which  they  came,  both  officers  and 
men  felt  that  their  labors  had  not  been  entirely  thrown 
away.  Their  presence  must  have  left  lasting  impres- 
sions on  the  minds  of  the  savages,  in  showing  them 
that  they  no  longer  had  poorly  clad  and  poorly  armed 
Mexican  soldiers  to  deal  with. 

On  arriving  again  in  Taos,  Kit  Carson  returned  to 
his  home  to  ruminate  over  what  was  best  for  him  to 
take  up  as  a  business  for  the  future.  He  revolved  in 
his  thoughts  his  past  career,  and,  in  the  end,  finished 
the  mental  study  by  resolving  to  give  up  his  roaming 
life,  as  he  rightly  considered  that  now  was  the  time,  if 
ever,  that  he  should  be  making  a  substantial  home  for 
himself  and  family,  before  old  age  crept  upon  and  dis- 
abled him  from  the  undertaking.  About  the  time  that 
he  was  in  this  frame  of  mind,  his  old  mountaineer 
friend,  Maxwell,  was  about  going  to  a  pretty  little  val- 
ley, called  by  the  Mexicans  Rayado.  Maxwell  pro- 
posed to  Kit  Carson  to  join  him  in  the  enterprise  of 
building  ia  ranche  on  the  site  which  he  had  selected. 
This  offer  the  latter  gladly  accepted.  Rayado  would 
have,  long  before,  been  settled  by  the  Mexicans,  had 
they  not  been  deterred  by  its  exposure,  and  consequent 
inviting  position  for  Indian  depredations.  The  valley 
is  about  fifty  miles  east  from  Taos,  and,  for  its  scenery, 
cannot  be  surpassed  by  anything  of  the  kind  in  America. 
Standing  at  the  head  of  it  on  a  blunt  bluff,  you  look 
down  and  out  on  the  prairies,  and  nothing  can  be  more 
enchanting  than  the  view  that  is  thus  presented.  On 
each  side  there  are  lofty  hills,  which,  when  green  with 
grass  and  foliage,  add  a  magic  beauty  to  the  scene. 
Through  the  valley,  as  if  it  had  been  intended  for  its 


KIT    CARSON    AT    HOME.  335 

dividing  line,  runs  a  broad  mountain  stream,  the  banks 
of  which  are  now  metamorphosed  into  beautiful  fields. 

We  stop  here  to  undeceive  the  reading  public  con- 
cerning an  idea  which  has  gained  currency  by  the  ex- 
traordinary imaginative  writings  of  novelists.  These 
trashy  fictions  represent  the  western  plains,  or  prairies, 
as  flower-beds.  In  this,  a  great  mistake  has  become 
prevalent.  A  traveler  often  pursues  his  way  over  them 
for  many  days  without  seeing  anything  to  interrupt 
the  continuity  of  green  grass  except  it  be  the  beautiful 
road  over  which  he  is  journeying.  Near  the  slopes  of 
the  mountains  and  on  the  river  banks  the  remark  will 
apply.  There,  fields  of  wild  flowers  are  often  found 
growing  in  great  luxuriance. 

The  settlement  was  soon  after  Commenced  by  Kit 
Carson  and  Maxwell,  and,  as  now  completed,  is  really 
a  beautiful  spot.  It  is  located  about  midway  down  the 
valley.  Among  its  several  houses  there  were  two  which 
were  more  conspicuous  than  the  rest.  In  the  finest  of 
these  two,  the  owner  of  which  took  great  pains  and 
spent  much  valuable  time  with  its  construction,  lived 
Maxwell,  whose  honest  pride  was  being  the  master  of 
a  model  form.  In  the  residence  next  most  to  be  ad- 
mired in  Rayado,  Kit  Carson  sometimes  sojourned. 

The  mansion  which  belonged  to  Maxwell  would  be 
an  ornament  to  any  country.  At  one  time  it  was  used 
as  a  garrison  for  American  troops,  and  on  it  the  soldiers 
made  many  improvements.  It  was  built  one  story 
high,  in  the  shape  of  a  hollow  square,  and  of  the  size 
of  an  ordinary  block  in  a  city.  Around  the  whole  ran 
a  fine  veranda.  With  its  lofty  ceilings,  large  and  airy 
rooms,  and  its  fine  yard  in  the  centre  of  the  square, 
which  was  well  stored  with  its  fowls,  pigeons,  and  other 


336  LORDS    OF    THE    MANOR. 

pet  animals,  with  appropriate  kennels;  with  antlers  of 
noble  buck  and  elk  ;  hams  of  venison,  buffalo  meat,  wild 
turkeys,  etc.,  and  near  by  a  fine  vegetable  garden ; 
altogether,  it  presented  a  picture  of  sumptuous  living 
rarety  seen  within  the  pale  of  civilization.  Maxwell 
counted  his  steeds  and  cattle  by  hundreds,  while  his 
flocks  of  sheep  were  enumerated  by  thousands.  Near  by 
stood  Kit  Carson's  ranche,  which,  though  more  modest, 
yet.  when  the  hunter  occupied  it,  in  dead  game  and 
comfort,  it  fully  rivaled  its  compeer.  Around  these 
two  hunters  lived  a  handful  of  Mexican  friends,  who 
were  either  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  them- 
selves, or  else  in  the  employ  of  the  "  lords  of  the 
manor,"  Carson  and  Maxwell. 

In  this  his  residence  at  Rayaclo,  Kit  Carson  was  only 
kept  from  spending  his  whole  time  by  business  for 
which  his  tastes  were  more  suited.  Soon  after  the 
commencement  of  the  settlement,  and  while  he  was 
engaged  in  his  vocation  as  farmer,  news  reached  him 
that  the  Apaches"  had  been  committing  a  most  wicked 
murder,  the  details  of  which  are  horrible  in  the  ex- 
treme. A  merchant  by  the  name  of  White,  who  was 
engaged  in  business  at  Santa  Fe,  had  been  into  the 
United  States  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  goods. 
With  his  train  of  wagons  and  his  small  escort  of  men, 
traveled  his  private  carriage,  in  which  there  were,  as 
passengers,  his  accomplished  but  unfortunate  lady  and 
her  only  child.  On  arriving  at  a  point  where  he 
anticipated  no  further  danger,  Mr.  White  started  on 
ahead  of  his  caravan,  in  order  that  he  might  reach 
Santa  Fe  as  soon  as  possible,  and  thus  relieve  his  family 
from  the  privations  of  camp  life.  He  had  proceeded 
but  a  few  miles  when  he  was  attacked  by  some  Indians 


TERRIBLE    MASSACRE    BY    APACHES.  337 

who  had  concealed  themselves  in  the  rocks  on  either 
side  of  the  road.  The  savages,  as  the  carriage  neared 
their  hiding-place,  fired  with  such  accuracy  of  aim 
that  they  killed,  by  their  first  volley,  all  of  the  men 
who  were  with  the  carriage  before  they  were  aware  of 
the  danger  which  surrounded  them.  Mrs.  White  and 
her  child  were  reserved  for  a  worse  fate.  They  were 
carried  off  into  captivity.  The  child  proved  to  be  a 
source  of  annoyance  to  the  blood-thirsty  savages,  and 
its  angel  spirit  was  released  from  earth  by  their  cruel 
ferocity.  Before  the  eyes  of  its  captive  mother  the 
fatal  tomahawk  was  raised,  and  by  one  dastard  blow 
its  keen  edge  was  made  to  mingle  with  its  brains.  The 
horrid  work  failed  not  to  bring  the  bitter  woes  and 
anguish  of  despair  to  the  breast  of  the  unhappy  mother. 
It  was  then  thrown  into  Red  River,  which  was  the 
stream  nearest  to  the  scene  of  the  bloody  tragedy. 

Red  River  and  its  great  canon  has  always  been  to  the 
Apache  Indians  a  favorite  haunt  of  refuge,  either  when 
pursued,  or  after  the  committal  of  some  terrible  crime. 
There  are  several  streams  in  the  West  called  by  this 
name.  The  one  here  referred  to  is  the  Red  River  of 
the  plains,  and  is  one  of  the  upper  tributaries  of  the 
Arkansas  River.  In  olden  times  it  went  by  the  name 
of  the  Canadian  River.  Several  sharp  conflicts  have 
occurred  on  this  stream  between  the  Apache  Indians 
arid  parties  of  United  States  troops.  It  has  also  formed 
the  stage  of  many  an  Indian  tragedy  in  conflicts  be- 
tween the  mountain  Indians  and  the  Indians  of  the 
plains.  Quite  recently  attempts  have  been  made  by 
whites  to  use  its  banks  for  grazing  purposes,  but 
every  enterprise  which  has  been  set  on  foot  to  estab- 
lish ranches  in  its  vicinity,  have  been  warmly  contested 


338  WATKINS    LEROUX. 

by  the  Comanches,  who  have   killed  several  persons 
who  have  dared  to  essay  such  attempt. 

The  intelligence  of  this  terrible  butchery  having 
been  carried  to  New  Mexico,  a  command  was  organ- 
ized in  hot  haste,  which  had  for  its  object  the  immedi- 
ate rescue  of  Mrs.  White  from  her  bondage,  worse 
than  death.  Two  men  went  with  this  party  as  guides, 
named  Leroux  and  Fisher.  Watkins  Leroux  was  an 
old  and  famous  trapper  and  mountaineer,  whose  repu- 
tation and  skill  as  a  guide  in  the  far  West,  was  second 
only  to  Kit  Carson's.  A  few  of  his  warm  partisans, 
who  were  ever  very  warm  in  their  praise  of  their 
friend,  at  one  time  considered  him  superior  even  to 
Kit  Carson  ;  but,  when  the  skill  of  the  two  men  came 
to  be  tried  in  the  same  cause,  the  palm  was  yielded  to 
Kit  Carson.  Leroux  guided  several  parties  over  new 
routes  with  meritorious  success.  His  knowledge  of 
Indian  character  was  nearly  equal  to  that  possessed 
by  Kit  Carson,  and  he  was  endowed  with  a  wonderful 
amount  of  forethought  and  prudence;  but,  in  an  Indian 
fight,  or  on  any  great  emergency,  his  faculties  appeared 
to  be  less  active,  and  his  judgment  less  certain,  than 
those  exhibited  by  the  great  Nestor  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  It  is  a  well-understood  maxim,  that 
there  are  more  or  less  narrow-minded  persons  who 
are  ready  and  eager  to  pull  down  any  and  every  rising 
man;  and,  for  this  purpose,  such  must  choose  a  cham- 
pion. Kit  Carson's  association  with  Colonel  Fremont 
had  won  him  so  great  renown,  as  a  mountaineer  and 
guide,  that  an  opposition  party  was  formed  to  detract 
from  his  merits  and  capabilities.  Leroux,  owing  to  his 
popularity,  was  chosen  for  the  leader  of  this  party,  and 
whenever  the  name  of  Kit  Carson  was  mentioned,  the 


A    COMMON    BROTHERHOOD.  339 

friends  of  Leroux  always  saw  fit  to  compare  the  deeds 
of  the  two  men  together.  This  strife,  of  course,  could 
not  be  lasting,  and  now  is  almost  forgotten.  It  is  a 
just  tribute  of  praise  due  to  both  of  these  brave  men, 
to  say  that  they  did  not  sanction,  by  word  or  deed, 
either  party  to  the  controversy.  They  could  but  ap- 
preciate each  other,  and  as  friends,  ever  felt  elated,  the 
one  at  the  success  of  the  other,  and  vice  versa.  They 
mutually  considered  that  every  fresh  laurel  of  glory 
added  a  measure-full  of  honor  and  renown  to  their 
common  brotherhood  of  mountaineers,  among  wThom 
the  good  reputation  of  their  cloth  was  as  dear  as  it 
was  among  the  knights  attached  to  the  orders  of  chiv- 
alry. Their  ranches  were  located  in  the  same  valley, 
and  in  the  same  town,  where,  having  lived  together 
as  fast  friends  in  life,  found  their  last  resting-places 
in  the  same  grave-yard.  Few  men  can  say  aught 
against  the  character  of  Watkins  Leroux,  but  in  this 
estimate  of  his  actions,  we  are  only  reviving  what  has 
already  been  given  to  the  public. 

With  Leroux  and  Fisher  employed  as  guides,  the  ex- 
pedition for  the  rescue  of  Mrs.  White  set  out  on  its 
route,  and,  on  its  journey,  passed  by  Rayado.  Kit 
Caison  immediately  proffered  his  services  for  the  ex- 
pedition. They  were  accepted,  but,  much  to  the  sur- 
prise of  many  of  the  party,  instead  of  being  at  once 
placed  in  the  position  which  his  great  experience  de- 
manded, he  was  assigned  to  an  inferior  position  under 
the  command  of  Leroux.  Kit  Carson,  however,  was 
too  good  a  soldier  to  exhibit  the  conduct  which  the  lit- 
tle buzzing  talkers  so  anxiously  looked  for  from  their 
supposed  kindling  of  his  jealousy,  and  quietly  took 
the  post  assigned  him,  eager  to  lend  a  helping  hand, 


340  A    MISTAKE    IN    JUDGMENT. 

which  mio-ht  even  thus  be  instrumental  in  savins;  a 
valuable  life.  It  is  proper,  however,  that  we  should 
add,  that  this  slight  upon  his  reputation  and  experi- 
ence wounded  his  feelings.  But,  especially,  as  the  life 
in  jeopardy  belonged  to  a  woman,  he  would  not,  and 
did  not,  think  of  allowing  his  actions  to  partake  of  his 
feelings.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that  this  slight, 
at  least  on  the  part  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
expedition,  was  not  intentional.  That  gentleman  was 
an  honorable  man,  and  would  not  have  committed  an 
act  which  he  considered  would  have  resulted  otherwise 
than  for  the  best ;  and,  in  appointing  Leroux  his  chief 
counselor,  he  had  selected  a  good  man,  but,  one  whom 
he  afterwards  learned,  to  his  sorrow,  was  every  way  the 
subordinate  of  Kit  Carson  in  managing  Indian  affairs. 

A  few  years  subsequent  to  the  transpiring  of  this 
murder  and  the  skirmish  which  succeeded  it,  we  trav- 
eled near  to  the  spot  under  the  same  officer  who  had 
the  command  of  the  above  expedition.  He  reverted 
to  the  affair  with  much  feeling,  and  from  his  actions 
and  remarks,  we  could  plainly  see  that  his  sympathies 
had  been,  perhaps,  too  greatly  enlisted  in  behalf  of  his 
unfortunate  countrywoman,  and  that  his  better  judg- 
ment had  been  overcome  by  giving  wa}^  to  the  urgent 
advice  of  others.  If  it  had  been  a  battle  where  either 
scientific  attainments  or  manly  courage  could  have  suc- 
ceeded, he  would,  doubtless,  have  been  himself,  and 
carried  everything  through  with  success.  This  is  no 
mere  assertion,  for  his  long  and  well  tried  military  ca- 
reer warrants  us  in  this  belief.  We  have  the  greatest  re- 
spect for  this  gentleman,  and  consider  him  a  very  able 
man  ;  but,  as  a  biographer,  we  are  called  upon  to  nar- 
rate the  facts  as  they  come  to  us.    If  he  had  succeeded, 


STIMULATING    SIGNS.  341 

everything  would  have  been  considered  as  well  done; 
but  he  failed,  and  the  cause  of  his  failure  is  plain. 

The  party  being  thus  constituted,  and  no  delay  hav- 
ing been  occasioned  by  any  unforeseen  accident,  the 
party  arrived  in  good  season  at  the  place  where  the 
cold-blooded  murder  had  been  consummated.  Around 
the  spot,  there  were  strewn,  in  great  confusion,  boxes, 
trunks,  pieces  of  harness,  and  many  other  things,  which 
had  belonged  to  the  unfortunate  party,  and  which  the 
villains  did  not  fancy  and  carry  away  with  them.  The 
path  taken  by  these  Indians  was  soon  found,  and  on  it, 
the  command  traveled  in  full  chase  for  twelve  days, 
without  seeing  the  outline  of  a  savage.  Carson  dt 
scribes  this  as  being  the  most  difficult  trail  to  follow  he 
remembers  ever  to  have  undertaken,  for  the  rascally 
Apaches,  on  breaking  up  their  camps,  would  divide  into 
parties  of  two  and  three,  and  then  scatter  over  the  vast 
expanse  of  the  prairies  to  meet  again  at  some  precon- 
certed place,  where  they  knew  water  could  be  had.  In 
several  of  these  camps  the  pursuers  found  remnants  of 
dress  and  other  articles,  that  were  known  to  have  be- 
longed to  Mrs.  White.  By  these  signs,  they  were  led 
to  believe  that  she  still  lived.  Although  these  things 
would  have  been  trifles  on  ordinary  occasions,  yet,  at 
the  present  time,  they  were  the  cause  of  stimulating 
the  white  men  to  their  utmost  exertions ;  and,  as  they 
grew  fresher,  the  excitement  among  the  party  in- 
creased. At  last  the  camp,  and  even  the  persons  of 
the  savages,  became  visible  to  the  foremost  of  the  pur- 
suers ;  and,  among  the  first  to  get  a  glimpse  of  them 
was  Kit  Carson.  At  the  time  the  discovery  was  made, 
Kit  Carson  was  considerably  in  advance  of  most  of  the 

men.     Turning  to  those  near  him,  he  shouted  to  have 
20 


342  CULPABLE    BLUNDERING. 

the  command  come  on  as  fast  as  possible,  for  he  saw  at 
once  that  there-  was  no  time  to  be  lost  in  consultation 
as  to  the  best  mode  of  assaulting  the  Indians.  They, 
already,  were  in  commotion,  and  were  making  hurried 
preparations  to  decamp.  Riding  on  at  full  speed  for 
some  distance,  Kit  Carson  again  turned  his  head  and 
saw,  to  his  dismay,  that  he  was  not  followed  ;  but  in- 
stead, the  command  had  halted.  The  cause  of  this 
curious  order  being  given  at  such  a  precarious  mo- 
ment, was,  as  he  afterwards  learned,  brought  about  by 
the  advice  of  the  chief  guide,  who  told  the  command- 
ing officer  that  the  Indians  wished  to  have  a  parley. 
On  seeing  what  was  transpiring  behind  him,  Kit  Car- 
son had  no  alternative  but  to  rein  up  his  horse  also  ; 
for,  to  ride  on  alone  into  the  midst  of  the  savages,  would 
have  been  unjustifiable  rashness,  and  might,  perhaps, 
have  destroyed  the  plans  his  superior  officers  were  con- 
cocting. So,  he  stood  paralyzed  and  confounded  at  the 
inactivity  of  his  companions.  Just  about  this  time,  a 
bullet  fired  from  the  Indian  camp,  struck  the  command- 
ing officer  in  the  breast,  and  bent  him  forward.  Those 
around  him,  for  a  little  while,  supposed  that  he  had  re- 
ceived a  mortal  wound.  Still,  he  retained  his  seat  in 
the  saddle,  but  could  not  speak.  Thus  again  was  pre- 
cious time  lost,  as  the  party,  during  this  time,  were  vir- 
tually without  a  leader,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  inclined 
to  make  one.  Fortunately  for  this  officer,  just  before 
he  received  the  shot,  he  had  taken  off  his  thick 
buckskin  gauntlets  and  crowded  them  into  a  breast 
pocket.  The  ball  had  struck  this  bundle  ;  and,  as  its 
force  was  somewhat  expended  by  the  distance  it  had 
come,  it  was  unable  to  more  than  penetrate  the  mass 
and  contuse  the  soft  parts  of  the  chest. 


MURDER    OF    MRS     WHITE.  343 

This  accident  assisted  in  preventing  this  well  known 
military  man  from  inflicting  such  a  blow  on  these  sav- 
ages, that  they  would  have  been  long  in  recovering 
from  it.  He  had  undoubtedly  seen,  soon  after  he  had 
halted,  that  Kit  Carson  was  right  in  recommending  a 
charge  ;  for,  as  quick  as  he  recovered  sufficiently  from 
his  injury  to  be  able  to  speak,  he  commanded  the  men 
to  make  the  attack,  and  leave  him  to  himself.  Unfor- 
tunately, the  time  had  passed  to  accomplish  the  de- 
sired effect  when  this  order  was  given,  for,  on  arriving 
among  the  lodges,  the  men  found  only  one  warrior.  He? 
as  a  matter  of  course,  was  slain.  The  body  of  Mrs. 
White  was  also  found  in  camp.  Life  was  extinct,  though 
her  soul  had  but  just  flown  to  heaven.  There  was 
still  warmth  in  the  corpse  when  the  men  first  discov- 
ered it.  An  arrow  had  pierced  her  breast.  Evidently 
she  had  been  conscious  that  friends  were  near,  and  was 
trying  to  make  her  escape  when  the  missile  of  death 
produced  the  fatal  wound. 

Much  has  been  written  and  said  about  this  sad  affair, 
and  much  unjust  calumny  has  been  heaped  upon  the 
head  of  the  leader  of  the  expedition ;  therefore,  the 
opinion  of  Kit  Carson,  in  reference  to  the  matter,  may 
not  be  out  of  place ;  hence,  we  give  it  word  for  word. 
"  I  am  certain,"  said  Carson,  "  that  if  the  Indians  had 
been  charged  immediately  on  our  arrival,  Mrs.  White 
would  have  been  saved.  At  first,  the  savages  were 
much  confused  at  our  approach,  and  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  she  saw  us  as  quick  as  any  one  of  the  red- 
skins did,  for  it  undoubtedly  was  the  all-absorbing  topic 
of  her  mind  that  her  rescue  would  be  attempted  by 
her  friends  and  countrymen.  On  seeing  us  coming,  she 
had  attempted  to  run  towards  us,  when  she  was  shot 


344       BKUTALITY,    HARDSHIPS    AND    VICISSITUDES. 

down.  Had  she  been  liberated,  she  could  not  have  long 
survived  the  brutality,  hardships  and  vicissitudes  she 
had  experienced.  Words  cannot  describe  the  bitter 
cup  that  she  had  been  obliged  to  drink  during  her  cap- 
tivity. It  was  the  will  of  Providence,  that,  having 
suffered  like  a  martyr  on  earth,  she  should  be  taken  to 
himself  before  we  arrived  to  where  her  remains  lay ; 
upon  coming  upon  which,  we  shed  tears  at  thus  being 
defeated  in  what  had  been  our  cherished  hopes,  even 
had  it  cost  some  of  us  our  own  lives." 

By  this  language  it  can  be  readily  seen  that  Kit  Car- 
son regretted  the  failure  of  this  attempt  made  to  rescue 
Mrs.  White  as  deeply  as  any  one,  either  in  the  expedi- 
tion, or  among  her  friends  at  the  home  from  which  she 
had  so  recently,  in  health  and  happiness,  been  torn. 
"  Yet  I  cannot,"  said  Kit  Carson,  "  blame  the  command- 
ing officer,  or  the  other  guide,  for  the  action  they  took 
in  the  affair.  They  evidently  did  as  they  thought  best, 
but  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  now  can  see,  that  if  my 
advice  had  been  taken,  the  life  of  Mrs.  White  might 
have  been  spared  for  at  least  a  short  period."  This 
expedition  was  far  from  being  a  failure,  for  the  Indians 
lost  all  their  provisions,  camp  equipage  and  a  few  ani- 
mals. Many  of  these  savages  ran  away,  leaving  behind 
them  ever}Tthing  they  possessed  in  the  world,  except 
the  scanty  amount  of  clothing  they  had  on. 

For  six  miles  they  were  pursued  over  the  level  prai- 
ries, wThen  another  brave  wTas  killed,  several  wounded 
and  three  children  taken  prisoners.  The  horses  belong- 
ing to  the  expedition  broke  down,  one  by  one,  until  at 
last,  the  chase  had  to  be  given  over,  after  wdiich  the 
Indians  made  short  work  in  getting  out  of  sight. 
Among  the  trinkets  and  baggage  found  in  the  captured 


A  TERRIBLE    SNOW-STORM.  345 

camp,  there  was  a  novel  which  described  Kit  Carson  as 
a  great  hero  who  was  able  to  slay  Indians  by  scores. 
This  book  was  shown  to  Kit  and  was  the  first  of  the 
kind  he  had  ever  seen.  After  glancing  at  it  he  made 
the  remark,  "  that  perhaps  Mrs.  White,  to  whom  it  be- 
longed, knowing  he  lived  not  very  far  off,  had  prayed 
to  have  him  make  his  appearance  and  assist  in  freeing 
her.  He  wished  that  it  might  have  been  so,  bnt  con- 
soled himself  by  thinking  that  he  had  performed  his 
duty."  While  on  their  route  back  to  Taos,  the  com- 
mand was  overtaken  by  a  terrible  snow-storm  which 
was  accompanied  by  a  high  wind  ;  as  there  were  no 
hills  to  break  its  force,  it  amounted  almost  to  a  tornado. 
The  snow  was  driven  with  such  force  into  the  men's 
faces  that  they  became  nearly  blind,  and  were  bewil- 
dered as  to  the  course  they  should  travel.  During  its 
continuance,  they  wandered  about  on  the  prairies. 
Finally  they  were  so  fortunate  that  at  last  they  reached 
a  clump  of  timber  in  the  neighborhood  of  Las  Vegas 
in  New  Mexico ;  but,  during  the  tramp,  one  man  had 
been  frozen  to  death  and  others  had  come  near  to 
perishing. 

After  arriving  in  the  settlements,  the  party  learned 
from  some  friendly  Indians,  that  the  Apaches  had  suf- 
fered severely  by  being  exposed  to  this  same  storm, 
and  the  report  was  that  many  of  them  had  since  died 
in  consequence  thereof.  From  this,  it  would  appear  as 
if  an  all-seeing  power  had  protected  the  whites,  while 
it  had  dealt  out  a  fearful  judgment  upon  these  wicked 
savages,  who  have  more  than  vague  ideas  of  the  sin  of 
murdering,  in  cold  blood,  innocent  people,  sages  and 
philanthropists  far  distant  and  safe  in  great  cities  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding.     There  are  no   set  of  men 


346  INDIAN    LAWYERS. 

in  the  world  who  can  draw  the  line  between  ri^ht  and 
wrong  based  on  its  first  principle,  and  taught  to  them 
by  the  great  lessons  of  nature,  as  can  many  tribes  of 
Indians.  Among  themselves,  and  especially  among 
their  individual  bands,  in  regard  to  all  crimes,  the  In- 
dian has  his  moral  code  of  laws  which,  in  many  re- 
spects, is  not  surpassed  by  those  of  his  pale-faced 
brother.  They  have  their  civil  chief,  who  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  peace  and  good  order  of  the  camp  ;  and, 
before  him,  are  tried,  by  the  lawyers  of  the  tribe,  all 
cases  wTorthy  of  notice.  If  the  parties  are  found  guilty, 
the  offender  or  offenders  are  summarily  dealt  with — 
therefore,  "  with  his  untutored  mind,"  in  his  intercourse 
with  white  men,  the  Indian  is  not  altogether  excusable 
in  committing  crime. 

There  are  many  people  who  believe  that  the  Indians, 
as  a  race,  have  been  greatly  sinned  against,  and  to  sus- 
tain their  views,  have  called  in  the  assistance  of  flowery- 
written  romances  and  the  high-sounding  language  of 
prose  and  poetry.  Much  of  this  novelty  and  interest 
rubs  off  by  coming  in  contact  with  the  savage  as  he 
really  exists.  Admiration  often  changes,  in  this  case, 
into  distrust  and  even  enmity.  It  is  natural  that  this 
should  be  so,  for  mere  book  education  biases  the  mind 
always,  either  for  or  against,  and  therefore  it  is  not 
strange  that  in  the  far  West  we  should  often  meet 
with  men  who  unhesitatingly  declare  that  the  red  man, 
if  capable,  is  unwilling  to  entertain  in  his  character 
even  one  redeeming  trait ;  but,  on  investigating  their 
individual  case,  we  find  that  they  are  but  superficial 
observers,  who  are  prone  to  find  fault  with  everything 
that  does  not  exactly  suit  their  tastes.  It  is  necessary 
to  spend  a  whole  life  with  Indians,  in  order  to  judge 


A  TERRIFIC  SNOW-STORM 


THE    NOBLE    RED    MAN    AS    HE    IS.  349 

them  without  prejudice.  The  Great  Spirit  has  en- 
dowed his  red  children  with,  reason,  the  same  in  qual- 
ity as  possessed  by  any  other  race,  but  their  habits, 
mode  of  life  and  experience  is  of  such  a  kind,  that, 
when  taken  as  a  whole,  they  are  truly  original.  Look- 
ing upon  this  class  of  people,  either  in  the  light  of  an 
enthusiast  or  as  a  detractor,  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
wrong ;  for,  as  is  usually  the  case,  the  truth  lies  be- 
tween the  extremes. 

To  be  caught  in  one  of  these  winter  storms  on  the 
plains  is  a  very  serious  affair ;  and  one  only  needs  to 
have  been  through  a  fearful  gale  on  the  seas  to  render 
him  dubious  of  which  to  choose.  To  the  faint  heart, 
death  seems  inevitable  in  either  case ;  and,  to  such  a 
one,  a  choice  between  a  watery  grave  or  a  bed  of  snow, 
when  hunger  and  cold  are  his  attendants,  while  life  is 
gradually  ebbing  out,  is  a  question  in  which  the  con- 
trast appears  small.  During  many  of  the  winter 
months,  a  life  on  the  prairies  becomes  a  necessity  to 
the  frontiersman,  and  not  a  pleasure.  The  force  and 
power  of  the  winds  on  the  level  earth  of  the  far  West 
are  beyond  human  imagination.  The  snow-storms 
there,  at  the  jDroper  period  of  the  year,  are  terrific  in 
their  grandeur.  The  quantity  of  the  snow  that  falls  is 
not  so  much  a  matter  of  notice  as  the  force  with  which  it 
comes,  being  almost  blinding  in  its  effects  and  requiring 
all  the  physical  powers  of  both  man  and  beast  to  meet 
and  contend  against  it.  It  but  seldom  happens,  dur- 
ing one  of  these  seasons,  that  the  roads  are  so  blocked 
up  by  snow  that  human  ingenuity  cannot  evercome  the 
obstacle ;  for  the  wind  drifts  the  snow,  rendering  the 
path  clear  at  intervals  which  vary  in  their  area.  The 
poor  mail-parties  were  the  ones  who  experienced  this 


350  DANGEROUS    TRAVELING. 

undesirable  life ;  and,  in  their  attempts  to  make  their 
journeys,  they  were  often  driven  near  to  death's  door, 
although  every  precaution  was  taken  to  make  the 
transit  safe.  The  mules  of  these  parties  were  well 
protected  with  India  rubber  coverings  which  were 
lined  with  blankets,  and,  so  snugly  were  they  made  to 
fit  every  available  part  of  the  animal,  that  it  seemed 
almost  impossible  for  cold  to  touch  them.  Corn  and 
fodder,  to  a  limited  extent,  was  transported ;  but,  even 
with  these  precautions,  the  mules  now  and  then  suc- 
cumbed to  the  cold.  The  man  covered  his  body  with 
warm  clothing,  and  carried  with  him  furs  and  robes 
enough  to  be  seemingly  able  to  defy  the  storms.  He 
could  provide  himself  only  with  a  scanty  amount  of 
fuel,  for  his  means  of  conveyance  were  very  contracted. 
When  overtaken  by  the  storms,  which  may  last  several 
days,  he  was  rendered  almost  powerless,  and  was  at 
the  tender  mercies  of  the  gale ;  for  he  could  not 
make  fires,  and  without  them  he  might  perish.  This 
was  not  true  of  every  trip  made  across  the  plains 
during  the  winter,  for,  like  on  the  ocean,  the  pas- 
sage was  frequently  gone  through  with  the  encoun- 
tering of  but  little  real  suffering.  One  thing  in  favor 
of  making  the  journey  at  this  season  of  the  year  was, 
the  probability  of  not  seeing  an  Indian.  They  usually, 
during  the  cold  months,  stow  themselves  away  in  their, 
comparatively  speaking,  warm  mountain  retreats.  In 
crossing  the  plains,  small  parties  found  the  item  of 
meeting  Indians  to  be  of  considerable  importance,  as, 
even  in  the  time  of  peace,  they  were  very  exacting 
and  troublesome,  demanding  that  provisions  should  be 
given  them,  by  way  of  toll.  To  refuse  was  apt  to 
bring  down  their  ire,  when   they  would  usually  help 


QUESTIONABLE    RECOMMENDATIONS.  351 

themselves  to  whatever  suited  their  fancy  They  are 
very  partial  to  sugar,  which,  when  they  cannot  say 
the  word  in  English,  they  call  "  Shoog."  If  not  under- 
stood, they  make  their  wants  known  by  the  Indian  sign 
of  touching  with  the  index  finger  the  tip  of  the  tongue, 
thereby  indicating  the  sweetness  of  the  article.  Many 
of  them  come  armed  with  a  piece  of  paper,  which  testi- 
monial of  good  behavior  they  have  obtained  from  their 
agent  or  forced  from  some  traveler.  As  they  cannot 
read,  it  makes  but  little  difference  what  is  the  sense 
of  the  writing,  so  long  as  it  is  bond  fide  penmanship. 
I  once  saw  one  of  these  documents  which  the  owner 
prized  very  highly,  but,  had  he  known  the  purport  of 
this  paper,  he  would  have  sighed  for  the  scalp  of  his 
kind  friend  who  wrote  it.  The  language  was  as  follows: 
"  Crossing  of  the  Arkansas,"  etc.  "  The  bearer,  Young 
Antelope,  is  a  good  Indian  and  will  not  take  anything 
out  of  his  reach.  This  is  to  warn  traders  and  travelers 
to  beware  of  his  race,  breed,  seed,  and  generation."  It 
was  signed  evidently  with  a  fictitious  name,  and  an- 
swered the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended,  which 
was  to  get  rid  of  an  ugly  customer  and  to  put  strangers 
on  their  guard  against  the  man  who  carried  it. 

On  arriving  at  Taos,  Kit  Carson  left  this  party  and 
proceeded  to  Rayado,  where  he  was,  soon  after,  actively 
engaged  in  farming  pursuits. 

During  the  subsequent  winter,  a  detachment  of  ten 
dragoons,  under  the  command  of  Sergeant  Holbrook, 
was  stationed  at  Rayado  to  protect  the  little  settle- 
ment. In  order  that  their  animals  might  have  the 
benefit  of  the  good  grass  which  was  to  be  found  in  the 
mountains  at  a  place  where  but  little  snow  fell,  the 
settlers  established  there  a  herder's  ranche,  posting  two 


352  AN"    EXCITING    CHASE. 

men  there  to  look  after  and  guard  the  property.  The 
cold  months  were  passed  in  peace  and  quiet,  but,  in  the 
spring,  the  marauding  Apaches  came,  and,  after  wound- 
ing both  of  the  herders,  stole  all  the  gentle  animals, 
including  both  horses  and  mules.  One  of  the  wounded 
men  made  his  way  to  Rayado,  notwithstanding  his  in- 
juries, and  gave  information  of  what  had  happened  to 
himself  and  companion.  On  learning  these  facts,  Kit 
Carson,  the  dragoons,  and  three  of  the  settlers  immedi- 
ately proceeded  to  the  ranch.  They  arrived  there 
just  as  the  shades  of  night  began  to  fall.  Nothing 
could  be  attempted  until  the  dawn  of  another  day, 
consequently  a  camp  was  ordered  and  duly  arranged. 
As  the  first  faint  beam  of  light  gilded  anew  the  moun- 
tain tops,  the  party  were  up  and  moving.  They  soon 
found  the  trail  made  by  the  thieves,  and  commenced  a 
sharp  pursuit.  The  pace  at  which  they  traveled  became 
so  rapid,  that,  at  the  distance  of  only  twenty-five  miles 
from  the  spot  where  they  first  struck  the  trail,  Indians 
were  discovered  moving  on  the  prairie  a  long  way  in 
advance.  There  remained  nothing  but  an  open  chase. 
Orders  were  issued  to  accelerate  even  the  hitherto 
rapid  march.  Each  man  resumed  his  exertions  to  put 
his  horse  to  his  best  speed.  The  chase  was  growing 
intensely  exciting  when  four  of  the  animals  belong- 
ing to  the  pursuers  gave  out,  ridden  clown.  Their 
riders  were  the  most  unhappy  of  any  of  the  party 
at  this  circumstance,  for  it  precluded  even  the  chances 
of  engaging  in  the  expected  affray.  Leaving  the 
four  men  behind,  the  remainder  of  the  party  pushed 
on  in  the  pursuit,  and  every  bound  made  by  their 
horses  brought  them  nearer  to  their  foes.  After 
several   hours    of  this   hard   riding,   they    came   near 


A   RUNNING    FIGHT.  353 

enough  to  the  warriors  to  count  their  numbers.  Their 
force  consisted  of  twenty  well  armed  and  equipped 
Indians.  They  showed  no  fear  of  the  party  pursuing 
them,  but  clung  to  their  stolen  property  with  such  per- 
tinacity that  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  overtaken. 
A  running  fight  was  immediately  commenced,  which 
became  most  exciting  as  well  as  dangerous  to  the  par- 
ticipants, but  all  the  more  exciting  because  thus  danger- 
ous. The  Indians  were  all  skillful  horsemen,  and  fought 
with  great  dexterity.  Their  animals  being  compara- 
tively fresh,  in  this  respect  they  had  the  advantage. 
Notwithstanding  this  fact,  the  pursuing  party  adminis- 
tered to  them  a  severe  lesson.  Five  of  the  rascally 
Indians  were  killed  and  several  wounded,  while  all  of 
the  stolen  animals,  wTith  the  exception  of  four,  were 
overtaken  and  recaptured.  The  whole  of  this  pursuit, 
and  the  running  fight  which  terminated  so  successfully, 
was  accomplished  under  the  advice  of  Kit  Carson. 
Each  man  in  the  pursuing  party  felt  that  the  simple 
fact  that  Kit  Carson's  eagle  eye  and  experienced  hand 
watched  and  guided  their  movements,  was  a  guaranty 
of  certain  and  ample  success.  Hence,  the  labor  of  the 
long  chase  and  the  demands  upon  their  personal  skill, 
activity,  and  courage,  made  by  the  necessities  of  the 
fight,  were  all  met  with  that  kind  of  readiness  and 
determination  which  seldom  fails  to  make  the  soldier 
invincible.  Every  man  in  that  party  knew  well  that 
an  Indian  chase,  with  Kit  Carson  for  a  leader,  meant 
fight  and  win  success  or  die. 

In  referring  to  this  adventure,  Kit  Carson,  when 
speaking  of  the  gallant  men  who  *  accompanied  him, 
said  :  "  They  all  proved  themselves  to  be  men  of  the 
very  best  material." 


354  A   DESPERATE    CONFLICT. 

Unfortunately,  two  of  this  gallant  party  have  since 
fallen  by  the  hands  of  these  same  Apache  warriors- 
One  of  these  was  Sergeant  Holbrook,  a  brave  man,  a 
skillful  soldier  and  a  noble  friend.  He  was  one  who 
adorned  his  profession  of  arms  and  who  was  an  honor 
to  the  country  whose  uniform  he  wore.  He  was  killed 
at  the  well  known  battle  of  Ceneguilla,  while  bravely 
fighting  against  overwhelming  odds.  This  battle  was 
fought  in  New  Mexico  in  the  year  1854.  In  it,  a  com- 
pany of  United  States  dragoons  were  worsted  and  cut 
to  pieces  by  a  greatly  superior  force  of  these  Indians, 
who  succeeded  in  drawing  them  into  an  ambuscade. 

The  other  person  referred  to  as  having  been  since 
killed  by  this  tribe  of  Apaches  was  a  brave  and  expe- 
rienced trapper,  well  known  throughout  the  range  of 
Indian  depredations  as  a  fearless  and  dangerous  adver- 
sary. His  name  was  William  New.  He  was  literally 
murdered  at  Rayado  by  these  Apaches.  This  occurred 
only  a  few  months  after  he  had  formed  one  of  the  party 
to  pursue  and  recover  the  animals  stolen  from  their 
ranch.  When  he  was  attacked,  New  was  engaged  till- 
ing the  soil  on  his  own  farm.  The  rascally  Indians  sur- 
rounded him  before  he  became  aware  of  their  presence. 
Having  an  empty  rifle  with  him,  he  succeeded,  for  some 
time,  in  keeping  his  assailants  at  bay,  by  pretending 
that  the  piece  was  loaded  and  pointing  it  at  the  fore- 
most warrior  as  if  he  intended  to  fire  it.  The  savages, 
however,  finally  discovered  the  truth  and  immediately 
made  a  rush  upon  him.  A  most  desperate  fight  ensued, 
for  William  New,  even  thus  defenceless,  was  not  one 
who  would  yield  up  his  life  without  a  struggle.  He 
made  almost  superhuman  efforts  to  effect  his  escape, 
using  the  rifle  as  a  club ;  wound  after  wound  was  given 


DEATH  OF  A  BRAVE  MOUNTAINEER.      355 

him  in  rapid  succession  in  return  for  the  desperate 
blows  which  he  dealt  with  the  rifle.  His  efforts,  how- 
ever, proved  futile.  Gradually  the  red  blood  was  gath- 
ered from  his  body  and  drank  up  by  the  soil  to  which 
he  looked  for  the  sustenance  of  himself  and  family,  un- 
til finally,  he  sank  upon  the  ground  fainting  from  its 
loss,  literally  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  frightful 
wounds.  Thus  died  one  more  of  the  sparse  race  of 
original  mountaineers,  now  fast  passing  away,  bravely 
meeting  the  fate  that  has  hitherto  usually  awaited  this 
band  of  fearless  men. 

We  again  turn  to  the  adventures  of  Kit  Carson.  On 
the  fifth  day  of  May,  1850,  accompanied  by  an  old 
mountaineer  named  Timothy  Goodel,  he  started  with 
fifty  head  of  mules  and  horses  for  Fort  Laramie.  This 
fort  is  distant  from  Rayado,  over  five  hundred  miles. 
The  object  which  the  two  men  had  in  view  was  to  trade 
their  animals  with  the  emigrants  who  were,  at.that  time, 
thronging  the  overland  route  to  California.  The  jour- 
ney was  safely  accomplished,  Kit  Carson  and  Goodel 
arriving  at  the  fort,  with  their  animals  all  in  good  con- 
dition, sometime  in  the  following  June.  They  remained 
here  about  one  month,  disposing  of  their  animals  at 
good  bargains. 

A  few  rather  amusing  anecdotes  have  had  their  rise 
connected  with  this  visit  which  Kit  Carson  made  to 
Fort  Laramie.  Among  several  other  incidents  the  fol- 
lowing; is  somewhat  laug-hable,  and  seems  to  us  worth 
relating.  Among  the  line  of  emigrants  then  on  the 
road,  the  report  was  circulated  for  some  distance  back 
that  the  famous  Kit  Carson  was  at  the  fort.  The  re- 
sult was  that  every  man,  woman  and  child,  as  fast  as 
they  arrived  at  the  fort,  were  eager  to  gratify  their  cu' 


356  :lrr   CARSON   LIONIZED. 

riosity  by  a  sight  of  the  man  whose  name  and  exploits 
had  already  been  the  theme  of  many  a  conversation 
among  them.  If  ever  Yankee,  or  American  (which  is 
the  more  appropriate  term,  we  will  not  attempt  to  de- 
cide) inquisitiveness  was  exhibited,  it  certainly  could 
be  then  seen  at  Fort  Laramie.  The  large  majority  of 
those  who  were  thus  anxious  to  see  the  famous  guide, 
were  led  astray  by  the  descriptions  which  they  had 
heard  and  read,  and  picked  out  some  powerfully  built 
trader  who  chanced  to  present  himself,  especially  if  the 
man  was  tastefully  dressed  in  a  hunting  shirt,  with  buck- 
skin leggins,  and  whose  appearance  indicated  ferocity. 
Of  this  kind  of  personages  there  were  quite  a  number 
present  at  the  fort.  Usually  they  would  accost  the 
man  whom  they  had  thus  selected.  Sometimes,  if  their 
address  was  appropriate  and  the  humor  of  the  person 
accosted  so  inclined,  they  would  get  put  right,  but  more 
frequently  they  were  left  to  enjoy  and  cherish  their 
mistake,  or  were  made  the  subject  of  a  joke.  Among 
the  rest  there  came  along  quite  a  rough  looking  indi- 
vidual fresh  from  the  canebrakes  of  Arkansas.  He, 
also,  was  seeking  to  place  his  eyes  upon  Kit  Carson. 
Accidentally,  or  intentionally,  it  matters  not  for  the 
story,  he  was  directed  to  the  place  where  the  bond  fide 
Kit  Carson  stood.  His  powerful  frame  and  determined 
looks,  as  he  put  his  inquiries,  made  those  inquired  of, 
apparently,  cautious  how  they  perpetrated  a  joke  upon 
the  Arkansas  man.  At  last,  standing  face  to  face  with 
Kit  Carson,  he  thus  interrogated  him.  "  I  say,  stran- 
ger, are  you  Kit  Carson  ?  "  Being  modestly  answered 
in  the  affirmative,  he  stood  a  moment,  apparently  quite 
taken  aback  at  beholding  the  short,  compact  and  mild- 
looking  man  that  stood  before  him.     Evidently  his  beau 


ASSUMED    MEEKNESS.  357 

ideal  of  the  great  mountaineer  did  not  compare  with 
the  man  whom  he  thus  faced.  This  momentary  hesi- 
tation resulted  in  the  conviction  that  he  was  beino-  de- 
ceived. The  conviction,  at  last,  took  form  in  words. 
Rolling  an  immense  quid  of  his  beloved  Indian  weed 
from  one  cheek  to  its  brother,  he  said,  "  Look  'ere, 
stranger,  you  can't  come  that  over  me,  any  how.  You 
ain't  the  kind  of  Kit  Carson  I  am  looking  for." 

This  was  too  much  for  Kit  Carson  to  hear  without 
treating  the  person  addressed  to  his  beau  ideal  of  Kit 
Carson ;  so,  suppressing  a  laugh,  and  assuming  a  very 
meek  expression  of  countenance,  as  if  he  was  afraid  to 
impose  upon  the  Arkansas  man,  he  quietly  pointed  to 
a  powerfully-built  trader,  who  chanced  to  be  passing 
near  by,  dressed  in  true  prairie  style.  The  Arkansas 
emigrant  followed  around  after  the  trader  until,  seem- 
ingly, he  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  he  had,  at  last, 
found  the  famous  person  of  whom  he  had  heard  so 
many  wonderful  stories  narrated.  After  gazing  at  the 
man  for  some  time  he  departed,  no  doubt  with  one  more 
perfect  description  of  what  sort  of  personage  Kit  Car- 
son was. 

From  the  time  Kit  Carson's  name  began  to  be 
heralded  throughout  the  world  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  impostors  presented  themselves  in  various  cities, 
and,  acting  on  the  credulity  of  the  people,  palmed 
themselves  off  as  the  individual  of  whom  we  write ; 
but,  from  the  perusal  of  this  work,  it  can  be  seen  how 
seldom  the  real  Kit  Carson  has  enjoyed  the  luxuries  of 
civilized  life.  It  is  in  this  way  many  persons  have 
gathered  wrong  impressions  concerning  Kit  Carson. 

Some  years  ago  a  stranger  one  day  presented  him- 
self in  the  quiet  town  of  Taos,  and,  being  a  fellow  of 


358  A   MAN    OF    IMPORTANCE. 

words,  he  soon  let  everybody  there  know  his  business, 
both  past  and  present.  In  one  of  the  principal  stores 
of  the  town  there  happened  to  be  congregated  a  small 
party  of  friends,  among  whom  was  Kit  Carson.  They 
were  talking  of  the  important  affairs  of  their  section 
of  country,  when  this  strange  individual  entered.  His 
familiarity  with  all  things  soon  gave  him  an  introduc- 
tion, and,  after  a  short  conversation,  a  wag  present  was 
tempted,  by  the  fellow's  boasting,  to  quiz  him.  Ad- 
dressing the  traveler,  he  asked :  "  What  part  of  the 
world,  pray  sir,  do  you  come  from?" 

The  answer  was  prompt. 

"I  kura  from  the  Cheyenne  Nation.  I've  been 
living  with  them  Injins  for  several  years.  Indeed,  I 
consider  myself  more  of  an  Injin  than  a  white  man." 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  other  matters. 
The  fellow  made  some  remarks  which  led  the  party  to 
believe  that  he  was  entirely  unacquainted  with  the  Chey- 
enne Indians,  or  any  other  Indians.  When  he  was  appar- 
ently off  of  his  guard,  the  wag  resumed  his  questioning. 

"  I  presume,  stranger,  you  accompany  the  Cheyennes 
wrhen  they  go  out  on  war  parties,  as  you  say  that  you 
have  turned  warrior." 

The  reply  was  : 

"  When  they  go  out  'gainst  t'other  Injins,  I  do  ;  but 
when  they  hunt  white  men's  hair,  I  am  allowed  to  stay 
behind.  This  was  one  of  the  stip'lations  when  I  took 
a  squaw  and  jined  the  tribe." 

"  Oh,  ho  !  that  is  the  way  you  manage  !  "  exclaimed 
the  wag. 

"  Yes !  and  I've  bin  the  means  of  saving  some  scalps 
fur  my  race,  too,  for  the  Injins  believe  in  me,  they  do," 
continued  the  fellow. 


BAREFACED  FALSEHOODS.  359 

The  wag  resumed — 

"Perhaps,  stranger,  you  have  heard  of  Kit  Carson. 
It  is  said  he  is  on  the  prairies  somewhere,  either  dead 
or  alive." 

The  fellow  answered : 

"  You've  got  me  !  Know  Kit  Carson  !  I  reckon  I 
do.  It  is  strange  that  you  should  ask  me  that,  when 
Kit  was  the  very  last  man  I  laid  eyes  on  as  I  left  our 
tribe." 

Here  the  fellow  lowered  his  voice  and  said,  as  if  ex- 
emplifying sympathy  : 

"  Poor  Kit  was  in  a  very  bad  way  one  hour  before 
we  parted.  The  fact  is,  you  know,  he'd  bin  play  in'  the 
papers  (meaning  gambling)  and  had  lost  everything. 
However,  I  made  him  happy  by  giving  him  my  gun 
and  powder-horn.  With  them,  you  know,  he  will  git 
along  anywhere  !  " 

All  hands,  except  Kit  Carson,  joined  in  the  laugh  at 
the  fellow's  impudence.  Kit  Carson's  patience  was  ex- 
hausted in  listening  to  the  barefaced  falsehoods  which 
the  man  was  uttering,  so,  with  some  excuse,  he  left  the 
party.  The  fellow  was  unapprised  of  the  farce  which 
he  had  been  acting,  and,  shortly  after,  left  the  town, 
believing  that  he  had  acquitted  himself  as  became  a 
hero. 

By  way  of  episode,  and  while  story-telling  keeps  its 
hold  on  our  pen,  we  may  as  well  relate  a  short  anec- 
dote, which,  though  it  does  not  form  any  close  connec- 
tion with  this  part  of  the  narrative,  seems  to  illustrate 
the  practical  jokes  which  are  sometimes  played  off  by 
the  western  men  upon  those  who  have  yet  to  undergo 
their  novitiate. 

A  German  accidentally  wandered  out  to  and  located 
21 


360  PECULIAR    RATTLESNAKE    ADVENTURE. 

himself  in  company  with  others  on  or  near  the  Green- 
horn River,  which  is  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Ar- 
kansas. Their  business  was  trading  with  the  Mormons, 
many  of  whom  at  that  time  traveled  to  Salt  Lake,  by 
what  is  known  as  the  Arkansas  River  route.  In  so  do- 
ing, they  came  near  the  vicinity  of  the  site  selected  for 
trading  purposes.  In  the  commencement,  the  German 
was  very  inexperienced  in  matters  that  pertained  to 
trading  with  these  emigrants,  and,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  in  an  Indian  country,  met  with  many  singular 
adventures.  It  so  happened  that  this  man  was  ex- 
ceedingly afraid  of  rattlesnakes,  and  those  he  was  asso- 
ciated with,  by  way  of  amusement,  delighted  in  aug- 
menting his  fears  by  telling  him  wonderful  stories  of 
what  feats  the  reptile  had  been  known  to  perform.  On 
the  first  trip  which  he  made  to  the  camp  of  some  Mor- 
mons located  about  nine  miles  off,  his  ride  took  him 
through  a  perfect  hot-bed  of  these  snakes.  Behind  his 
saddle,  on  the  horse's  back  which  he  rode,  he  had  tied 
a  bag  of  rice  which  he  intended  to  barter.  The  Ger- 
man not  being  used  to  riding,  was  a  poor  horseman, 
while  unfortunately,  his  steed  was  a  spirited  animal, 
and  at  once,  on  his  mounting,  started  off  on  a  trot. 
The  string  of  the  bag  of  rice  became  loosened  by  the 
severe  jolting,  and  its  contents  came  tumbling  on  the 
ground  in  great  quantities,  but  afterwards,  as  the  stock 
on  hand  decreased,  this  was  lessened.  The  German, 
who  had  his  hands  full  to  keep  his  seat  in  the  saddle, 
heard  the  rattling  noise  behind  him,  but  dared  not  look 
around  for  fear  of  being  thrown  off  from  his  horse  He 
supposed  he  was  chased  by  a  ferocious  snake,  and,  at 
once,  thought  only  of  escape ;  therefore,  seizing  the 
mane  of  the  horse,  he  gave  him  the  spurs.     He  was  soon 


APACHES    ON   THE    WAR-PATH.  361 

going  at  a  flying  gait ;  still,  the  rattling  noise  pursued 
him  as  the  increased  speed  sent  the  little  grains  of  rice 
out  of  the  sack  in  greater  quantities.  At  last  the  sound 
died  away,  as  the  cause  of  the  trouble  was  expended. 
The  frightened  rider  now  considered  himself  safe,  and 
began  to  rein  in  his  horse.  After  awhile  he  brought 
him  to  a  stand-still,  and  turned  to  look  for  his  retreat- 
ing enemy,  but  instead  found  the  origin  and  cause  of 
the  mischief.  His  loss  was  irrevocable,  and  he  could 
only  laugh  at  the  ridiculous  figure  he  must  have  cut. 
This  adventure  gave  his  friends  much  merriment,  and 
served  to  open  his  eyes  in  reference  to  the  much  vaunted 
capabilities  of  this  snake.  He  has  since  often  told  this 
stor}^  of  himself,  and  considers  it  a  capital  joke. 

The  labor  of  settling  up  their  business  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie was  soon  over,  when  Kit  Carson  and  Goodel  took 
their  departure.  Goodel  started  for  California,  while 
Kit  Carson  commenced  his  tramp  homeward.  As  a 
traveling  companion,  he  took  with  him  a  Mexican. 
They  pursued  their  journey  quite  pleasantly  and  safely 
enough,  but,  on  their  arrival  at  the  Greenhorn  River, 
the  scene  of  the  German's  adventure  with  a  rattle- 
snake, they  were  obliged  to  be  very  wary  in  their  prog- 
ress, for  Kit  had  learned  that  the  Apache  Indians  were 
out  on  the  war-path,  and  were  waylaying  the  road 
which  he  intended  to  pursue  with  the  avowed  purpose 
of  attacking,  plundering  and  murdering  whoever 
chanced  to  fall  in  their  savage  clutches.  Kit  Carson, 
therefore,  halted  for  six  days  on  the  banks  of  the  Green- 
horn, and  spent  the  time  recruiting  his  animals.  While 
here  and  thus  engaged,  a  party  of  white  men,  whom 
he  found  encamped  on  the  same  river,  formed  the  sub- 
ject of  his  earnest  attention.     They  had  come  thus  far 


362  SLEEPING   IN    TREE-TOPS. 

on  then*  route  to  New  Mexico,  but,  on  learning  the 
news  of  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  Apache  nation,  their 
courage  had  entirely  deserted  them.  They  did  not 
dare  venture  into  New  Mexico,  and  counseled  the  re- 
tracing of  their  steps.  Kit  Carson  set  himself  to  work, 
but  found  he  had  a  difficult  task  to  talk  courage  into 
these  men.  By  dint  of  much  argument,  he  succeeded 
in  persuading  one  of  them  to  accompany  him.  On  the 
seventh  day,  with  this  one  companion — for  the  Mexi- 
can had  left  him — he  broke  up  his  little  camp  on  the 
Greenhorn,  and  set  out  upon  his  dangerous  journey. 

By  taking  a  zigzag  course,  avoiding,  in  the  moun- 
tains, all  the  usually  traveled  trails,  he  advanced  on  his 
route  forty  miles  without  seeing  any  very  fresh  Indian 
signs.  As  often  as  the  moon  was  unclouded,  the  two 
men  embraced  the  assistance  of  its  pale  light  to  make 
progress  through  the  dangers  that  beset  them  ;  and,  on 
the  days  which  succeeded  this  night-work,  they  would 
conceal  themselves  and  animals  in  some  out-of-the-way 
place,  where  they  were  not  to  be  easily  discovered. 
Kit  Carson  had  not  sufficient  confidence  in  the  quick- 
ness of  perception  of  his  companion  to  trust  him  as  a 
sentinel,  therefore  he  had  to  take  upon  himself  all  of 
that  important  duty.  While  on  the  lookout,  he  usually 
posted  himself  in  the  top  limbs  of  a  tree,  and  always 
took  care  to  select  one  that  commanded  a  good  pros- 
pect of  the  surrounding  country.  After  several  days 
passed  without  having  proper  rest,  Kit,  in  the  monot- 
ony of  his  position  as  sentinel,  would  feel  sleep  stealing 
over  him,  until  it  was  difficult  to  keep  longer  awake. 
He  would  close  his  eyes  and  commence  to  nod,  but  on 
these  occasions  he  was  sure  to  be  quickly  aroused  on 
almost  losing  his  balance,  by  which,  however,  he  en- 


A    NARROW    ESCAPE.  363 

dangered  his  neck.  One  day,  while  thus  employed,  he 
was  perched  in  the  highest  branches  of  a  lofty  old  cot- 
ton-wood on  the  banks  of  the  River  Timchera,  and  not 
far  off  from  the  "Spanish  Peaks."  Nearly  ten  hours 
had  passed  without  anything  special  having  attracted 
his  attention,  when,  all  at  once,  a  band  of  straggling 
Apaches  came  into  view  not  over  one-half  mile  distant. 
A  single  look  was  sufficient  to  convince  him  that,  as  yet, 
neither  himself  nor  his  companion  had  been  discovered. 
No  time  was  to  be  lost,  so  Kit,  as  quickly  as  possible, 
descended  and  ran  to  where  his  friend  was,  and  in- 
formed him  of  their  danger.  The  animals  were  soon 
saddled,  and  the  two  men  mounting  them,  struck  out 
in  a  direction  just  the  opposite  to  that  in  which 
the  Indians  were  traveling.  Fortune  favored  them,  as, 
soon  after  they  had  emerged  from  the  timber  into  the 
open  prairies,  night  set  in,  thus  shutting  them  out  from 
the  view  of  the  savages.  Profiting  by  the  darkness 
and  the  level  country  which  lay  before  them,  they 
reached,  by  the  rising  of  the  next  morning's  sun,  the 
Mexican  town  of  Red  River,  which  was  sixty-five  miles 
distant  from  the  place  they  had  last  started  from.  All 
dangers  having  been  now  surmounted,  they  made  a 
sufficient  stay  at  Red  River  to  rest  themselves  and 
animals. 

On  resuming  their  journey,  they  jogged  along  over 
the  now  rough  trail  and,  after  a  ride  of  thirty  miles, 
came  to  Taos,  where  they  were  once  more  safe  from 
the  perils  that  had  so  recently  surrounded  them,  and 
where  they  were  well  provided  for  by  kind  friends. 

Rio  Colorado,  or  Red  River  settlement,  is,  next  to 
Taos,  the  oldest  town  in  northern  New  Mexico.  It  is 
located  on  a  small  stream  of  the  same  name,  which 


364  INVETERATE  STORY-TELLERS. 

Hows  into  the  Rio  Grande.  The  town  itself  contains 
some  two  or  three  hundred  inhabitants,  and  occupies 
rather  a  pretty  site,  being  built  on  a  high  bank,  while 
between  it  and  the  river  there  is  a  large  strip  of  bottom- 
land, which  is  under  cultivation.  The  scenery  about 
is  picturesque,  embracing  lofty  and  bold  mountains, 
beautiful  wood-land  and  open  prairies.  The  exter- 
nal appearance  of  the  village  is  that  of  abject  poverty; 
and,  on  entering  it,  one  readily  sees  that  his  eyesight 
has  not  deceived  him,  but  that  his  first  impressions  are 
fully  realized.  It  was  here  that  Fremont  and  his  men 
found  a  haven  of  safetj^  after  meeting  their  trying 
reverses  on  the  fourth  exploring  expedition.  To  them 
the  sight  of  this  town  must  have  been  hailed  with 
delight.  In  Red  River  there  live  two  old  trappers, 
who  have  long  since  been  weaned  from  the  habits  and 
manners  of  civilization.  These  two  men  are  Canadians, 
one  of  them  notorious  for  the  "yarns"  he  can  spin  ; 
but  as  they  are,  many  of  them,  past  belief,  they  are 
listened  to  by  the  traveler  as  a  help  to  pass  the 
time  while  he  is  obliged  to  tarry  in  the  place.  A 
young  English  nobleman,  who  was  on  a  visit  of  pleas- 
ure to  the  western  country,  once  fell  into  this  man's 
clutches,  and,  from  the  trapper's  after  boasting,  we 
infer  that  he  (the  trapper)  more  than  surpassed  him- 
self in  story-telling.  Among  other  things,  he  informed 
this  nobleman  that  he  had  once  mastered  a  grizzly 
bear  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  by  cramming  a  stick  that 
was  sharpened  at  both  ends  into  the  bear's  mouth  in 
such  a  way  that  the  monster  could  not  close  his  jaws, 
because  it  fastened  and  kept  them  open.  Being  asked 
by  the  nobleman  how  large  were  the  hare  in  that 
vicinity  of  country,  his  answer  was,  that  he  had  seen 


SIX-OUNCE    GRASSHOPPERS.  365 

them  of  such  a  magnitude  that  one  would  be  a  load 
for  a  man,  and  that  when  strung  across  the  hunter's 
shoulder,  one  part   was  sure  to  be   dragging  on   the' 
ground.     He  then  boasted  that  he  had  killed  a  grass- 
hopper that,  with  his  head  cut  off,  weighed  six  ounces. 
Notwithstanding    his   love  of  talk,   this  old  man  had 
once  been  a  brave  and  famous  hunter ;  but  no  confi- 
dence could  be  placed  in  him,  owing  to  his  habituated 
want  of  regard   for  truth  and  honor  ;  hence,  he  has 
long  since  been  excluded  from  the  companionship  of 
the    mountaineers.       The    English    gentleman    above 
spoken  of  was  an  experienced  traveler,  and  therefore 
undoubtedly    knew   how   to    weigh   the  truth  of  his 
astonishing  information. 


366  KIT    CARSON    REACHES    HOME. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Kit  Carson  reaches  Home — Himself  and  Neighbors  Robbed  by  the  Apaches 
— Major  Grier  goes  in  Pursuit  of,  and  Recaptures  the  stolen  Stock — 
A  Plot  organized  by  White  Men  to  Murder  two  Santa  Fe  Traders  for 
their  Money — The  Disclosure — Kit  Carson  goes  to  the  rescue  of  the 
Traders — The  Camp  of  United  States  Recruits — Captain  Ewell  with 
twenty  Men  joins  Kit  Carson — The  Arrest  of  Fox — Gratitude  ex- 
pressed by  the  Traders — Money  Offered  but  Refused — The  Prisoner 
taken  to  Taos  and  Incarcerated — Kit  Carson  receives  a  Magnificent 
Pair  of  Revolvers  as  a  Present  from  the  grateful  Traders — The  Re- 
turn to  Rayado — A  Trading  Expedition  to  the  United  States — The 
Return  Journey — An  Encounter  with  the  Cheyenne  Indians — A  State 
of  Suspense — The  Deliverance  from  Danger  by  a  Message  sent  by  a 
Mexican  Runner — The  arrival  at  Rayado. 

After  finishing  the  pleasant  visit  which  he  was  thus 
enabled  to  make,  while  recruiting  himself  among  the 
good  people  of  Taos,  Kit  Carson  bent  his  way  to  his 
home  at  Rayado.  He  safely  reached  there  and  had 
but  just  dismounted  at  his  own  door,  when  he  was  in- 
formed of  a  recent  calamity  that  had  befallen  himself 
and  neighbors  during  his  absence.  It  was  the  old  story, 
viz.,  that  the  Indians  had  come  in  and  boldly  stolen  all 
the  animals  belonsrinsc  to  the  settlement.  At  the  time 
this  depredation  had  been  committed,  there  was  a  small 
detachment  of  United  States  troops  stationed  in  the 
place,  but  the  soldiers  were  too  few  in  number  to  at- 
tempt a  rescue  of  the  property  from  the  savages.  The 
latter  had  visited  the  little  town  with  a  strong  force 
on  this  occasion  ;  the  settlers,  therefore,  made  applica- 


KIT  carson's  workmen.  367 

tion  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  territory,  who 
promptly  dispatched  Major  Grier  with  a  command  of 
dragoons  to  hunt  up  the  guilty  parties  and  punish  them. 
This  the  major  did,  and  was  so  fortunate  as  to  recover 
nearly  all  of  the  stolen  stock,  which  he  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  returning  to  its  owners. 

Kit  Carson  remained  through  the  following  summer 
months  at  his  ranch  at  Ray  ado,  busying  himself  in 
efforts  to  improve  his  house  and  lands. 

In  his  employment  Kit  Carson   had   several  faithful 
Mexicans.     His  task  was  to  superintend  their  labors, 
which  occupied  only  a  part  of  his  time.     When  any- 
thing required  it  he   lent  a  hand   to  assist  them ;  but 
these  men  had  to  be  provided  with  provisions  which, 
to  purchase  in  those  distant  parts,  would  have  entailed 
a  great  item  of  expense ;  indeed,  more  than  equal  to 
the  profits  arising  from  their  labor.     Therefore  a  certain 
amount  of  time  had  to  be  set  apart  for  hunting,  which 
kind  of  employment  he  truly  enjoyed.     Mounted  on  a 
fine   horse,  with  his  faithful  gun   and  dog,  early  each 
day,  he  would  start  out  on  the  prairies  to  engage  in 
the  chase.     In  a  few  hours  he  would  return  on  foot, 
with  his  noble  hunter  loaded  down  with  choice  game. 
Sometimes  it  would  be  antelope  or  elk ;  on  another  oc- 
casion, it  would  consist  of  black-tailed  deer,  which  are 
celebrated  as  being  the  largest  and  the  finest  species  of 
venison  that  roam  the  forests  of  any  country,  and  are 
only  to  be  found  in  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  on  another, 
wild  turkeys ;  and  then  mountain  grouse    and  prairie 
chickens  helped   to  complete  the    load.      When  thus 
provided  for,  it  is  no  wonder  that  Kit's  workmen  loved 
their  employment  and  labored  with  good  will.     While 
thus  engaged  Kit   Carson's    weather  eye  was  always 


368  A   PICTURE    OF    CONTENTMENT. 

open  for  Indian  signs.  His  horses,  cattle  and  sheep 
which  he  had  bought  since  the  last  depredation  were 
watched  with  great  vigilance,  as  no  one  could  foretell 
what  the  next  hour  would  bring  forth.  In  his  moun- 
tain home,  Kit  was  often  visited  by  Indian  friends  who 
came  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  with  him  and  enjoy 
his  hospitality.  When  thus  surrounded  by  rival  hunt- 
ers worthy  of  his  steel,  who  had  sprung  up,  like  oaks 
of  the  forest,  he  felt  truly  happy.  This  happiness  was 
greatly  enhanced  and  augmented  by  the  thrifty  appear- 
ance of  everything  that  pertained  to  him. 

He  saw  himself  in  the  possession  of  fine  lands,  well 
watered  and  well  timbered ;  also,  plenty  which  was 
ready  for  the  plow.  It  was  almost  a  farm,  made  to 
order  by  the  most  perfect  workman.  The  soil,  un- 
surpassed in  richness  and  fertility,  was  a  safe  and  sure 
depository  for  his  seeds,  telling  him,  in  its  silent  but  un- 
mistakable language,  of  the  rich  harvest  in  store  for 
him.  His  stock  was  the  best  which  heart  could  wish ; 
and  last,  but  with  him  not  least,  he  was  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  splendid  hunting-grounds,  which,  to  his  un- 
erring rifle,  as  the  reader  has  already  seen,  proved  as 
safe  an  assistant  as  would  have  been  a  Wall  street  bank 
with  a  large  credit  side  to  his  account. 

We  have  here  a  picture  of  Kit  Carson  enjoying  the 
rewards  of  a  home  congenial  to  his  taste  and  knowledge 
of  life,  while  around  him  are  gathered  the  objects  which 
his  manly  soul  had  learned  to  love  and  live  for. 

The  duties  of  farming  and  hunting  were  only  once 
interrupted  during  the  summer  which  Kit  Carson  thus 
enjoyed  with  his  family.  The  exploit  which  called 
him,  on  this  occasion,  from  his  home,  was  caused  by 
an  effort  to  save  the  lives  of  two  well  known  traders. 


A    DIABOLICAL    PLOT.  369 

To  accomplish  this,  he  assumed  the  character  and  du- 
ties of  a  detective  police  officer.  The  circumstances 
of  the  case  were  as  follows : 

An  American,  by  the  name  of  Fox,  had  organized  a 
party  to .  accompany  as  a  guard  over  the  plains,  and, 
while  professedly  engaged  in  this  duty,  to  murder 
Messrs.  Brevoort  and  Weatherhead,  two  gentlemen  who 
were  traveling  into  the  United  States,  as  the  rascal  and 
party  supposed,  with  a  large  sum  of  money  which  they 
expected  to  expend  in  the  purchase  of  goods  to  be  used 
for  trading  purposes.  Fox  played  his  part  so  well  that 
when  he  offered  himself  and  men  as  an  escort,  the  offer 
was  accepted  by  the  intended  and  unsuspicious  victims, 
as  if  it  had  been  a  mark  of  particular  favor.  Before  the 
route  was  entered  upon,  Fox  visited  Taos  for  the  pur- 
pose of  enlisting  among  his  band  of  desperadoes,  a  fel- 
low who  resided  in  that  town.  He  was  a  person  who 
bore  a  very  bad  character,  but  for  some  reason,  which 
has  never  transpired,  he  refused  to  go ;  yet,  proving 
true  as  a  wicked  confidant,  he  waited  until  he  thought 
his  friend  Fox  was  sufficiently  advanced  on  the  road  to 
accomplish  his  hellish  purposes  without  any  chance  of 
his  being  overtaken  and  arrested.  He  then  saw  fit  to 
divulge  the  plot. 

Every  new  country  is  the  favorite  place  of  resort  for 
desperadoes  and  rascals  of  all  grades,  who  cannot  live 
in  their  native  districts  on  account  of  their  many  crimes. 
Until  the  machinery  of  law  and  order  begins  to  work 
smoothly,  these  fellows,  in  their  new  homes,  have 
everything  their  own  way  unless  they  go  to  too  great 
excesses,  when  their  neighbors  will  rise  for  their  own 
protection  and  treat  them  with  summary  and  severe 
punishment.     Often,  by  thus  making  an  example  of  a 


370  NEFARIOUS    PRACTICES. 

few,  large  numbers  are  prevented  from  doing  further 
mischief.  In  the  early  history  of  nearly  every  one  of 
our  western  territories,  escaped  convicts,  murderers, 
thieves  and  the  worst  sort  of  humanity,  mingled  in 
with  good  men,  have  commenced  their  nefarious  prac- 
tices on  a  grand  scale.  These  things  have  brought  such 
sections  of  our  country  into  bad  repute  abroad.  It 
needs  but  time  for  communities  to  ferret  these  human 
monsters  out  and  visit  upon  them  a  just  retribution. 
The  inland  position  of  New  Mexico  and  the  consequent 
difficulty  of  intercourse  with  the  General  Government 
of  the  United  States,  made  it  an  inviting  place,  from 
time  to  time,  for  men  of  this  stamp  to  visit ;  but,  as 
they  have  met  on  most  occasions  with  a  reception  from 
the  friends  of  order,  not  in  the  least  suited  to  their 
tastes,  they  have  almost  ceased  their  coming,  thereby 
showing  what  a  few  resolute  men  can  accomplish  at  the 
commencement  of  such  trouble.  The  reforming  work 
of  mitigating  the  evil,  which  is  sure  to  result  among  a 
mixed  population  under  the  best  regulations,  is  slowly 
progressing,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant,  when  New 
Mexico,  in  this  respect,  will  compare  favorably  with  her 
sister  (and  older)  States. 

The  purport  of  this  diabolical  plot  accidentally  came 
to  the  ears  of  an  officer  in  the  army,  who  chanced  to 
be  in  Taos  at  the  time.  This  gentleman  was  one  of  the 
first  to  hear  of  it,  and  at  once  sought  Kit  Carson ;  but 
instead  of  directly  telling  him  what  he  had  just  heard, 
from  some  strange  reason  of  his  own,  he  demanded 
of  Kit  whether  he  would  be  willing  to  pursue  and  ap- 
prehend Fox  for  debt.  To  this  proposition  Kit  Carson 
replied  in  the  negative. 

On  hearing   Kit's  indignant  refusal  to  be  employed 


KIT    CARSON   AS    A   DETECTIVE.  371 

in  such  a  menial  undertaking,  the  officer  concluded  to 
lav  the  true  state  of  the  case  before  him,  who,  he  natu- 
rally  enough  thought,  could,  above  all  others  in  that 
territory,  devise  some  plan  that  would  result  in  rescu- 
ing Brevoort  and  Weatherhead  from  their  impending 
fate.  Here  it  may  be  proper  for  us  to  add  that  the  offi- 
cer who  had  thus  indiscreetly  acted,  must  have  had 
previously  a  very  slight  acquaintance  with  Kit  Carson, 
or  he  would  not  have  selected  him  as  a  man  ready  and 
anxious  for  any  dirty  job  which  might  offer,  as  it  is 
entirely  foreign  to  his  true  character.  Kit  Carson,  on 
being  apprised  of  the  facts,  became  interested,  and  took 
the  management  of  the  affair,  for  the  most  part,  into 
his  own  hands ;  and,  on  investigating  it  more  thor- 
oughly, he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Fox  and  his 
companions  contemplated  committing  the  crime  on  the 
Cimaron  River. 

This  river  is  nearly  east  from  Taos ;  and  the  point  at 
which  Carson  anticipated  overhauling  the  party  was 
between  two  and  three  hundred  miles  distant.  At  this 
time,  the  Mountain  Indians  were  unusually  hostile  ; 
but  Kit  Carson  was  always  well  informed  of  their 
movements — as  much  so  as  it  was  in  the  power  of  any 
one  to  be.  With  the  little  command  under  him  he  was 
willing,  where  so  weighty  a  matter  of  saving  the  lives 
of  two  of  his  countrymen  demanded  his  services,  to 
march  anywhere — even  if  he  had  to  contest  his  way. 
One  hour  was  sufficient  time  for  him  to  make  ready  for 
the  undertaking,  but  not  so  with  the  soldiers.  They 
had  to  put  their  horses  and  themselves  in  trim,  for  it 
might  be  severe  and  taxing  duty.  The  route  taken  by 
the  party  was  a  trail,  which  leads  direct  to  Rayado,  and 
on  which,  just  before  reaching  the  last-named  place 


372  MYSTERIOUS    MOUNDS. 

there  are  many  curious  piles  of  stones,  which  are  scat- 
tered over  the  side  of  a  mountain,  and  have  formed  a 
puzzle  to  many  an  inquiring  mind.  By  some  they  are 
supposed  to  be  Indian  graves ;  but,  by  others,  they  are 
thought  to  have  been  made  as  a  sort  of  landmark  by 
the  older  inhabitants  of  the  plains,  when  they  started 
into  New  Mexico  on  some  marauding  incursion.  These 
latter  persons  believe  that  the  Indians  were  unac- 
quainted with  the  country  they  were  invading,  and 
had  left  these  marks  to  assist  them  in  making  their 
way  out  again.  Most  likely  the  first  hypothesis  is  true, 
and  that  the  stones  were  thus  heaped  up  to  protect  the 
corpses  from  being  devoured  by  the  wolves.  On  quit- 
ting Ray  ado  Kit  Carson  struck  out  on  the  open 
prairies. 

By  making  an  expeditious  march,  Kit  Carson  felt 
that  the  traders  could  yet  be  saved.  His  party  con- 
sisted of  ten  picked  men  of  the  dragoons,  and  it  was 
splendidly  mounted  on  horses  furnished  him  to  assist 
in  the  undertaking.  The  pace  which  Kit  commanded 
and  required  was  one  which  would  try  the  nerves  and 
courage  of  most  good  horsemen.  Onward,  over  the 
level  prairie,  the  party  galloped — every  man  feeling 
proud  of  the  guide,  whose  spirit  they  caught  and  imi- 
tated. The  second  night  out  from  Taos  they  came  upon 
the  camp  of  a  detachment  of  United  States  recruits  who 
were  under  the  command  of  Captain  Ewell,  and  who 
were  bound  for  New  Mexico,  where  they  were  to  re-in- 
force  the  regiments  of  the  army  which  were  stationed 
in  that  territory. 

It  is  customary  to  send  out,  each  year,  detachments 
of  recruits  to  the  different  departments  of  the  West. 
These  men  are  enlisted  and  collected  at  the   depots 


UNITED    STATES    EAW    RECRUITS.  373 

within  the  States ;  and,  whenever  a  sufficient  force  is 
collected  to  fill  up  the  requisitions,  they  are  dispatched, 
at  the  proper  seasons,  to  their  respective  regiments. 
Those  intended  for  New  Mexico  set  out  during  the 
summer  months.  They  were  rarely  sent  at  the  same 
time,  or  as  the  same  command  of  men.  These  re- 
cruits were  a  hard  set  to  manage,  especially  when  trav- 
eling through  the  States,  where  they  were  exposed  to 
temptation.  On  arriving  at  the  commencement  of 
their  hardships,  on  the  plains,  it  was  usually  found  that 
many  had  deserted,  and  also  that  many  might  have 
done  so  with  benefit  to  the  government.  Military  ser- 
vice with  recruits,  and  the  same  with  old  soldiers,  are 
two  different  things.  With  the  former,  officers  are 
obliged  to  command,  threaten  and  punish,  to  accom- 
plish in  one  day,  what  the  latter  would  perform  with- 
out much  trouble  in  half  the  time.  Kecruits  know 
little  or  nothing  about  marching  or  camp  duty ;  and, 
in  taking  care  of  them,  an  officer  has  his  hands  full. 
Even  the  most  minute  items  have  to  be  looked  to  ;  for 
example,  they  are  men  rarely  used  to  fire-arms,  and 
are  just  as  apt  to  load  a  gun  with  the  ball  of  the  car- 
tridge first  down,  as  with  the  powder.  Old  soldiers 
look  upon  these  new-comers  as  verdant  in  the  ex- 
treme, and  the  pranks  they  often  play  upon  them  are 
very  humorous.  With  patient  discipline,  they  become 
serviceable  men,  and  are  an  honor  to  the  standard 
which  they  carry ;  and,  what  appears  to  be  the  stran- 
gest fact  of  all,  frequently  the  poorest  looking  recruit 
may  make  the  best  soldier.  This  is  a  fair  picture  of 
the  men  Captain  Ewell  was  commanding. 

Kit  Carson  at  once  informed  the  captain  of  the  duty 
he  was  on,  when  that  distinguished  officer  generously 


374  THE    ARREST    OF    FOX. 

determined  to  assist  in  putting  a  damper  on  the  wicked 
designs  of  the  wretches.  Taking  with  him  twenty 
men.  Captain  Ewell  joined  Kit  Carson,  and  together 
they  proceeded  in  the  pursuit.  By  using  every  pre- 
caution in  their  power,  and  forcing  their  inarches,  they 
entered  into  the  camp  of  the  traders,  and  arrested  Fox 
before  he  had  time  even  to  suspect  the  business  upon 
which  the  party  had  come.  After  Fox  was  secured, 
Messrs.  Weatherhead  and  Brevoort  were  informed  of 
the  dangers  through  which  they  had  passed.  These 
gentlemen  at  first  were  astounded,  but  they  soon  be- 
came assured  of  the  truth  of  what  they  had  heard. 
They  then  selected  fifteen  men  whom  they  knew  to  be 
innocent,  and  ordered  the  remainder  of  their  escort,num- 
bering  thirty-five  souls,  to  leave  their  camp  instanter, 
which  command  was  promptly  obeyed.  To  Kit  Carson 
they  offered  any  sum  of  money  that  was  in  their  power 
to  bestow,  in  return  for  the  invaluable  service  he  had 
rendered  them.  Kit  Carson  replied,  "that  it  was  re- 
ward sufficient  for  him  to  have  been  instrumental  in 
saving  the  lives  of  two  worthy  citizens,  and  that  he 
could  not  think  of  receiving  one  cent  of  money." 

A  long  colloquy  was  held  that  night  around  a  good 
camp-fire,  that  was  freely  fed  with  "buffalo  chips."* 
At  midnight,  most  of  the  party  were  asleep,  and  noth- 
ing could  then  be  heard  except  the  barking  of  wolves 
and  the  heavy  tread  of  the  guard,  as  they  walked  to 
and  fro  on  their  respective  beats.  On  the  first  appear- 
ance of  daylight,  all  hands  were  up  and  preparing  to 
strike  their  tents.  Soon  after  the  parties  separated, 
but,  before  doing  so,  the  traders  again  expressed  their 
thanks,  and  then  resumed  their  journey.     Fox  was  first 

*  Buffalo  chips  form  the  principal  fuel  of  the  plains.    It  is  dry  buffalo  manure. 


ESCAPE    FROM    PRISON.  375 

taken  to  Captain  Ewell's  camp,  then  he  was  turned 
over  to  Kit  Carson,  who  conveyed  him  to  Taos,  where 
he  was  imprisoned  for  some  time ;  but  was  finally  re- 
leased, as  nothing  positive  could  be  proved  against  him, 
chiefly  because  he  had  committed  no  overt  act,  but  had 
only,  thus  far,  engaged  in  plotting  the  double  murder 
and  robbery.  This  is  always  a  difficult  crime  to  estab- 
lish. In  this  instance,  the  difficulty  was  greatly  aug- 
mented from  the  fact  that  the  witnesses  in  the  case,  as 
soon  as  they  heard  of  Fox's  capture,  scattered  and  left 
for  parts  unknown.     He  was  finally  set  at  liberty. 

At  that  day  the  keeping  of  a  prisoner  in  close  con- 
finement in  New  Mexico,  or  of  having  him  continually 
under  the  surveillance  of  the  military  was  no  ordinary, 
or  easy  matter.  The  only  places  which  could  be  con- 
verted into  jails,  were  the  common  adobe  houses  of  the 
inhabitants.  From  these  a  wide-awake  and  deter- 
mined prisoner,  with  the  free  use  of  his  hands  and  the 
assistance  of  the  smallest  kind  of  a  tool,  as  a  jackknife 
or  pair  of  scissors,  could  dig  out  of  his  dungeon  in  five 
or  six  hours.  The  large  majority  of  the  criminals  who 
were  thus  incarcerated,  managed  to  effect  their  escape. 
In  the  case  of  Fox,  however,  he  had  a  man  to  deal  with 
who  was  seldom  thwarted  in  any  of  his  undertakings. 
With  so  much  convicting  evidence  of  his  wicked  inten- 
tions, and  with  so  much  trouble  to  bring  him  to  trial, 
it  was  greatly  regretted  that  he  did  not  receive  a  suit- 
able punishment.  As  soon  as  he  was  set  free,  Fox 
made  his  way  out  of  the  country ;  but  his  further  his- 
tory is  not  known. 

The  general  impression  left  upon  the  minds  of  the 
people  who  were  familiar  with  the  minutiae  of  this  af- 
fair was,  that  Fox  was  guilty.     As  he  was  known  to  be 

22 


376  CARSON'    HANDSOMELY    REWARDED. 

a  finished  villain,  it  was  universally  believed  that,  after 
murdering  and  plundering  the  two  traders,  he  intended 
to  grasp  the  "lion's  share,"  and  with  his  portion  to  pro- 
ceed to  Texas,  where,  as  he  was  there  entirely  un- 
known, he  hoped  to  enjoy  the  rewards  of  his  rascality. 

This  valuable  service  rendered  to  Messrs.  Brevoort 
and  Weatherhead,  was  most  gracefully  and  handsomely 
rewarded  by  them.  In  the  course  of  the  following 
spring,  they  presented  Kit  with  a  pair  of  magnificent 
revolvers.  Upon  the  silver  mountings,  there  were  en- 
graved a  very  few,  but  expressive  words,  indicating  the 
obligations  which  the  donors  considered  themselves 
laboring  under  towards  their  deliverer.  Such  a  testi- 
monial to  an  unselfish  heart,  like  that  which  beats  in 
the  breast  of  Kit  Carson,  is  a  prize  of  greater  value 
than  any  more  substantial  gift,  which  money  could 
purchase.  These  beautiful  weapons  Kit  Carson  prized 
very  highly  ;  and  the  donors  afterwards  learned  the 
fact  that,  in  the  hands  of  their  owner,  they  were  duly 
initiated  into  active  service,  and  found  to  perform  their 
necessary  duties  most  admirably. 

After  the  task  of  the  arrest  of  Fox  was  thus  success- 
fully undertaken  and  consummated,  by  his  being  se- 
curely lodged  in  jail  and  placed  under  suitable  guard, 
Kit  Carson  returned  to  Rayado,  where  he  spent  the 
winter  in  a  very  quiet  manner.  We  use  the  term 
quiet  manner :  it  should  be  qualified  with  the  phrase, 
quiet  manner  for  him.  He  found  plenty  of  employ- 
ment in  looking  after  his  animals,  besides  spending  a 
large  share  of  his  time  in  hunting.  This,  however, 
although  always  attended  with  paying  practical  results, 
he  did  as  much  for  pleasure  as  for  necessity.  He  always 
found  a  large  number  of  hungry  mouths  ready  to  re- 


A   VILLAGE    OF    CHEYENNE    INDIANS.  377 

lieve  him  from  any  superabundance  of  game ;  and,  as 
his  hospitality  to  all  classes  was  unbounded,  he  took 
special  delight  in  feeding  and  liberally  bestowing  his 
bounties  upon  his  poor  Mexican  neighbors,  to  whom 
powder  and  lead  were  more  of  a  desideratum  than  to 
himself,  and  with  whom  his  experience  and  skill  as  a 
hunter,  were  a  source  of  support  which  they  could 
only  wish  for. 

Early  the  next  summer  Kit  Carson,  in  charge  of  a 
train  of  wagons  belonging  to  himself  and  his  friend 
Maxwell,  set  out  for  the  United  States.  After  an  un- 
usually pleasant  journey,  he  reached  the  Missouri 
River,  and  proceeded  down  it,  in  a  steamboat,  to  St. 
Louis.  Here  he  purchased  a  large  stock  of  goods. 
With  this  freight  he  returned  to  Kansas,  where  he  had 
left  his  caravan,  into  which,  on  his  arrival,  he  transferred 
his  merchandise.  He  then  started  on  his  return  trip  to 
New  Mexico.  In  order  that  his  animals  might  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  fine  grass  to  be  found  there,  he  chose 
the  route  known  to  all  traders  on  the  plains,  as  well  as 
to  the  reader,  as  the  road  by  Bent's  Fort.  He  was 
progressing  on  his  journey  quite  happily,  when  unfor- 
tunately, at  a  point  that  is  located  about  fifteen  miles 
above  the  fording  of  the  Arkansas,  he  fell  in  with  a 
village  of  Cheyenne  Indians,  who  were  just  at  that 
time  violently  hostile  towards  the  whites,  and  were 
waiting  an  opportunity  to  wreak  their  vengeance  on 
them.  This  state  of  feeling  had  been  brought  about 
only  a  few  days  previous,  and  was  due  to  an  officer 
who  was  attached  to  a  command  of  recruits  that  some 
ten  days  before  Kit's  arrival  had  passed  by.  He  had 
flogged  a  warrior  for  some  liberty  which  the  fellow  had 
taken  while  he  was  in  the  camp  of  the  soldiers.     These 


378  INDIAN    SQUAWS. 

Cheyennes  are  very  fond  of  dress  and  show ;  but,  as  a 
body,  they  are  as  noble  and  athletic  looking  men  as 
tread  this  earth.  Singular  though  the  contrast  may 
appear,  a  greater  set  of  rascals  never  went  unhung; 
yet,  they  are  Indians,  and  as  such  they  ought  to  com- 
mand sympathy  and  forbearance. 

The  young  men  who  belong  to  the  Cheyenne  nation, 
are  fond  of  dress,  and  when  arrayed  in  full  costume  one 
of  them  is  a  picture  to  look  upon;  when  thus  gilded  no 
man  could  be  prouder.  Many  of  these  Indians  wear 
their  hair  in  a  long  cue  a  la  Chinese  style.  They  take 
great  pleasure  in  ornamenting  this  cue  with  innumera- 
ble pieces  of  silver,  which  are  made  from  half-dollar 
pieces,  and  are  beat  out  in  the  shape  of  small  shields. 
With  their  blue,  or  red  blankets,  long  ribbons  of  differ- 
ent colored  flannel,  fancy  leggins  and  bead  decorations, 
and  finally  (as  I  once  saw  one)  with  a  red  cotton  um- 
brella, they  represent  the  very  Paris  tip  of  Indian  fash- 
ion. Their  squaws  do  not  possess  as  regular  and  fine 
features  as  the  men ;  but,  this  may  be  said  to  be  true 
of  most  of  the  wild  tribes  of  savages  in  North  America, 
for  it  requires  an  enormous  stretch  of  the  imagination  to 
call  them  handsome,  while  many  of  the  men  are  fine 
looking.  Hard  work  spoils  the  beauty  of  the  Indian 
women.  To  admire  an  Indian  woman  one  must  se- 
clude himself  from  the  society  of  other  females ;  under 
such  circumstances  it  may  be  that  a  person  might  be 
inclined  to  change  his  opinion  and  think  the  race  lovely. 
The  lazy  brave  considers  it  beneath  his  station  to  work ; 
therefore  all  camp  labor  and  the  packing,  saddling  and 
looking  after  the  ponies  devolves  upon  the  squaw. 
When  there  is  a  scanty  supply  of  horses,  she  is  obliged 
to  give  her  lord  the  preference  in  taking  his  ease,  and 


"LO!  THE  POOR  INDIAN. 


AN   INDIAN   NEVER    FORGIVES.  381 

go  herself  on  foot  and  carry  her  pappoose.  In  fact  it 
is  lowering  to  the  Indian's  pride  to  do  else  than  hunt  and 
fight.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  timber  on  the  western 
prairies,  the  Indians  transport  their  lodge-poles  from 
camp  to  camp.  This  is  done  by  attaching  them  to  the 
sides  of  the  pack  animals  while  the  free  ends  drag  on 
the  ground,  and  in  time  of  war  this  constitutes  one  of 
the  signs  of  the  trail  by  which  to  follow  when  in  pur- 
suit of  them. 

The  reason  why  the  commanding  officer  of  this  party 
of  recruits  inflicted  the  summary  punishment  referred 
to,  is  not  known  to  the  writer ;  but,  it  surely  does  ap- 
pear as  if  the  person  who  ordered  its  execution,  or  per- 
haps courageously  performed  it  himself,  might  have 
reflected,  that  a  savage,  least  of  all  men,  allows  a  sup- 
posed injury  done  to  him  or  his  tribe  to  pass  by  unre- 
venged,  and  also  that  it  is  a  matter  of  perfect  indiffer- 
ence to  him  as  to  who  the  victim  is,  if  he  only  gets 
the  chance  to  strike  a  blow  on  the  same  nation.  This 
revenge  will  quench  his  cruel  thirst  for  blood  quite  as 
effectually  as  if  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  scalping  the 
perpetrator  of  his  real  or  supposed  injury.  It  is  a  fact 
— alas  too  frequently  true — that  the  parties  who  are 
strong  in  numbers,  courage,  and  equipment,  while 
crossing  the  plains,  are  prone  to  treat,  in  an  overbear- 
ing and  insolent  manner,  the  bands  of  Indians  with 
whom  they  chance  to  come  in  contact.  For  these  in- 
sults and  injuries  weaker  parties,  who  travel  upon  the 
same  road,  are  held  to  a  strict  and  revengeful  account 
by  being  made  to  suffer  even  with  their  lives,  as  well 
as  effects.  Kit  Carson  and  his  small  force,  unfortunately, 
or  rather,  fortunately,  so  far  as  Kit  himself  was  con- 
cerned,— for  no  man  could  be  better  fitted  to  deal  with 


382  PREPARED    FOR    A    FIGHT. 

such  a  crisis  of  trouble  than  he  — were  the  first  white  men 
who  came  along  alter  the  flogging  of  their  warrior  had 
wrought  up  the  temper  of  the  Cheyenne  nation  to  a 
degree  which  nearly  bordered  on  frenzy. 

As  soon  as  the  whites  were  discovered,  the  Indians 
went  into  council,  evidently  to  decide  on  the  best 
mode  of  attacking  and  making  away  with  them.  Kit 
Carson,  though  he  did  not  know  that  this  tribe  had 
declared  war,  and  much  less  their  reasons  for  so  doing, 
when  he  first  saw  them,  was  not  long  in  coming  to  a 
conclusion,  from  their  actions,  that  there  was  a  screw 
loose  somewhere.  He,  therefore,  began  to  act  with 
more  than  usual  sagacity  and  caution.  He  ordered  his 
men  to  keep  their  wagons  close  together,  to  have  their 
rifles  in  good  trim  and  be  ready  for  an  instant  fight.  In 
this  manner,  with  every  man  on  the  watch,  he  pushed 
on  for  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  Although  he  had 
left  the  Indians  far  behind,  he  did  not  relax  his  vigi- 
lance, being  still  impressed  with  the  belief  that  a  storm 
was  brewing.  His  surmises  bescan  to  be  verified  soon 
after,  for  the  Indians,  in  parties  of  two,  three,  and  four, 
appeared  in  sight,  arrayed  and  painted  in  their  full 
war  costume.  Having  approached  some  of  them  to 
within  a  distance  sufficiently  near  so  to  do,  Kit  Carson 
commenced  talking  to  them  in  a  conciliatory  manner. 
They  were  inclined  to  heed  his  words  ;  and,  in  order  to 
make  it  appear  that  he  was  not  intimidated  by  their  ac- 
tions, he  went  into  camp,  and  invited  these  advance  par- 
ties of  the  Indians  to  come  in  and  have  a  talk  and  smoke 
with  him.  The  savages  accepted  the  invitation,  and 
were  soon  seated  in  a  circle.  After  the  pipe  had  passed 
from  one  to  the  other,  until  all  present  had  had  a  puff  or 
two  from  it,  they  began  to  talk  loud  among  themselves. 


"caught  a  tartar."  383 

At  the  time  we  now  speak  of,  several  years,  as  the 
reader  can  readily  compute,  had  elapsed  since  Kit  Car- 
son was  a  hunter  at  Bent's  Fort,  and  then  well  known 
to  most  of  the  Cheyenne  nation  ;  but,  these  few  years 
had  so  altered  him,  together  with  his  new  style  of 
dress,  that  it  is  no  doubt  that,  at  first,  not  one  of  the 
Indians  remembered  ever  having  seen  him  before. 

Kit  Carson  remained  quiet  and  allowed  the  Indians 
to  open  the  talk,  as  he  was  watching  to  find  out  what 
had  so  suddenly  aroused  their  anger,  and  he  well  knew 
that  if  they  supposed  that  he  and  his  men  did  not  un- 
derstand what  they  were  conversing  about,  they  might 
refer  to  the  cause  of  the  trouble,  and  thus  give  him  a 
clue  whereby  he  might  take  advantage,  and  form  a  line 
of  conduct.  It  was  clear  to  his  mind  that  the  Indians 
were  resolved  to  have  revenge  on  his  party,  and  that 
there  was  time  enough  to  let  himself  be  known  to 
them,  which,  in  their  present  excited  state,  would  serve 
him  but  little.  The  Indians  had  at  first  conversed  in 
the  Sioux  tongue.  The  reason  for  this  was  to  conceal 
their  own  nationality,  and  thus,  if  necessary  in  the  fu- 
ture, they  could  shield  themselves  by  laying  the  massa- 
cre, which  they  were  about  to  commit,  on  the  shoulders 
of  that  tribe.  This  is  a  ruse  often  employed  by  the  In- 
dians ;  but,  in  this  case,  in  their  heated  state  they  for- 
got their  native  cunning  and  commenced  conversing 
in  the  language  which  was  most  familiar  to  them.  A 
Frenchman,  called  in  the  mountains  Pete,  who  spoke 
English  quite  fluently,  and  who  was  with  Carson  during 
these  trying  scenes,  informed  the  writer,  on  one  occa- 
sion, that  he  never  fully  knew  or  appreciated  Kit  Car- 
son until  this  occurrence.  "Why,"  said  he  in  his  en- 
thusiasm, "  Kit  knew  just  what  was  to  be  done,  and 


384  "TICKLISH    TIMES." 

did  it,  too.  With  any  other  man,  we  would  have  gone 
under.  The  Indians  were  more  afraid  of  him  than  all 
the  rest  of  us  put  together.  There  were  red  fellows 
enough  there  to  eat  us  up,  and  at  one  time  I  could 
almost  feel  my  hair  leaving  my  head.  We  had  two 
women  traveling  with  us,  and  their  crying  made  me 
feel  so  bad  that  I  was  sartin  there  was  no  fight  in  me. 
Women  (he  added)  are  poor  plunder  to  have  along 
when  going  out  on  a  war  party,  but  Kit  talked  to 
them,  and  then  to  the  Indians,  and  put  them  both 
finally  on  the  right  trail.  Wah ! !  but  them  were 
ticklish  times." 

As  soon  as  the  Indians,  in  their  excitement,  began 
to  speak  their  own  language,  they  became  very  vio- 
lent, and  so  unguarded  were  they  in  expressing  their 
individual  sentiments  that  they  treated  Kit  and  his 
party  with  perfect  indifference,  and  openly,  though  se- 
cretly as  they  thought,  arranged  for  the  massacre. 

Little  did  they  imagine  that  Kit  Carson,  whom  tbey 
had  at  first  sight  selected  as  the  leader  of  the  company, 
understood  every  word  that  was  said.  Kit  listened  at- 
tentively to  their  plans  and  heard  them  decide  that  the 
time  to  kill  him  was,  when  he  again  took  the  pipe  to 
smoke ;  for,  in  so'doing,  he  would  lay  down  his  weap- 
ons. They  could  be  instantly  seized,  and  therefore  he 
would  be  prevented  from  doing  them  any  harm.  As 
to  the  Mexicans  who  accompanied  him,  they  said  they 
could  kill  them  as  easily  they  could  buffalo.  Already 
enough  had  passed  among  the  Indians  to  arouse  in  Kit 
Carson's  breast  the  greatest  feeling  of  alarm  as  to  what 
would  be  the  result  of  the  position  in  which  he  was 
placed.  He  had  with  him  fifteen  men,  two  only  of 
which  number,  were  men  on  whom  he  felt  that  he  could 


ASTONISHED    INDIANS.  385 

rely.  The  other  members  of  the  party,  who  counted 
thirteen  in  all,  were  Mexicans  of  whom  he  had  a  poor 
opinion  as  to  their  bravery.  Nothing  daunted  by  such  an 
accumulation  of  unfavorable  circumstances,  he  at  once 
saw  that  a  bold  face  was  to  be  put  on  in  order  to  extricate 
himself  from  the  grasp  of  the  Indians.  Springing  to 
his  feet  with  his  weapons  ready  for  immediate  use,  Kit 
Carson,  as  he  advanced  into  the  centre  of  the  seated 
warriors,  gave  directions  for  his  men  to  be  ready  to  de- 
fend their  lives.  Then,  turning  to  the  Indians,  who 
sat  rooted  to  the  earth,  as  it  were,  with  astonishment 
at  the  suddenness  of  such  actions  and  such  coolness,  he 
commenced  addressing  them.  He  informed  them  "  that 
they  might  readily  see  from  the  fluency  with  which  he 
spoke  their  language,  that  he  had  comprehended  all 
that  they  had  been  talking  about.  What  puzzled  him 
most,  however,  was  the  cause  of  their  wishing  to  have 
his  scalp.  "Never,"  said  he,  "to  his  knowledge  had  he 
been  guilty  of  any  wrong  to  their  tribe ;  that,  on  the 
contrary,  there  were  braves  among  those  present,  who, 
if  they  turned  to  their  memories,  would  recognize  his 
face  as  that  of  an  old  friend  in  years  gone  by,  and  who 
could  testify  to  the  many  acts  of  kindness  which  he  had 
performed  in  their  behalf."  He  reminded  them  "  how 
that,  even  now,  he  had  received  them  into  his  camp 
and  treated  them  with  all  the  hospitality  in  his  power; 
and  yet  they  persisted  in  repaying  him  by  taking  his 
life."  In  the  end,  he  wound  up  his  discourse  by  giving 
peremptory  orders  for  them  to  leave  his  camp,  and 
should  any  one  refuse,  he  would  be  shot.  The  Indians 
were  completely  nonplussed,  and  not  feeling  inclined 
to  risk  a  fight  without  their  usual  accompaniment  of  a 
surprise,  after  saying   something   about   returning,   to 


386  KIT    A   HOST    IN    HIMSELF. 

which  they  were  answered  "  that  if  they  did,  they 
would  be  received  by  a  volley  of  bullets,"  they  departed 
to  join  their  friends  who  were  in  swarms  upon  the 
neighboring  hills.  It  is  supposed  that  a  grand  council 
was  called,  in  which  the  proceedings  that  had  transpired 
in  the  camp  of  the  white  men  were  fully  reported,  and 
perchance,  many  of  the  braves,  in  refreshing  their  mem- 
ories, began  to  recollect  some  of  the  daring  deeds  which 
Kit  Carson  had  performed  when  he  lived  in  their  coun- 
try. This,  doubtless,  led  them  to  the  conclusion  that 
they  had  caught  an  experienced  traveler ;  for,  certain 
it  was,  that  afterwards  their  actions  became  somewhat 
disconcerted  and  not  so  rash  as  they  had  been.  No 
sooner  had  the  savages  retired  from  the  camp,  than  Kit 
Carson  ordered  his  men  to  harness  their  animals  to  the 
wagons,  so  that  they  could  resume  their  journey. 

As  the  train  moved  on,  the  Indians  were  once  more 
left  behind,  although  they  had,  by  no  means,  formed 
the  idea  of  allowing  the  white  men  to  depart  in  peace. 
They  were  busy  concocting  some  scheme  whereby  they 
could  accomplish  their  ends  without  loss  to  themselves. 
The  muleteers,  as  they  walked  beside  their  teams,  by 
order  of  Kit  Carson  held  in  one  hand  their  rifles,  while 
in  the  other  were  their  whips,  which,  from  time  to  time, 
they  were  obliged  to  apply  freely  to  their  animals  in 
order  to  keep  the  caravan  in  compact  order.  Mounted 
on  a  fine  horse,  with  his  rifle  and  pistol  so  adjusted  that 
he  could  lay  his  hands  on  them  at  a  moment's  notice, 
Kit  Carson  rode  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other, 
inspiring  his  men  with  his  own  courage.  He  felt  that 
upon  him  was  rested  the  responsibility  of  saving  the 
lives  of  his  companions,  and  that  it  was  to  him  they  all 
looked  to  be  rescued   from   the  perils  that  surrounded 


ON    THE   ALERT.  387 

them.  As  he  rode  along,  his  eyes  were  busy  scanning 
the  prairies  in  every  direction.  Now  and  then  he  rested 
from  this  duty  as  his  mind  became  somewhat  relieved, 
when  he  could  discover  nothing  except  bands  of  ante- 
lope, or,  here  and  there,  a  hungry  wolf,  who,  with  his 
white,  canine  looking  teeth,  seemingly,  spoke  volumes 
of  the  empty  condition  of  his  stomach.  For  the  re- 
mainder of  that  day,  the  train  traveled  on  in  apparent 
safety.  When  the  shades  of  evening  had  fairly  set  in, 
a  camping  ground  was  selected  on  a  small  stream.  The 
wagons  were  formed  in  a  circle,  in  which  were  huddled 
the  men  and  animals,  so  that  both  could  be  protected 
by  the  weapons  of  the  former.  Grass  was  cut  with  the 
butcher  knives  belonging  to  the  members  of  the  party, 
and  was  laid  before  the  mules.  In  this  dangerous  lo- 
cality, they  could  not  be  allowed  to  procure  this  food 
for  themselves.  As  strong  a  guard  as  their  forces 
would  permit  of  was  posted.  The  remainder  of  the 
party  gathered  some  wood  that  had  floated  down  the 
stream  from  the  mountains,  and  was  sparingly  scattered 
along  the  shores  of  the  river  near  to  the  camp.  This 
was  brought  in,  when  small  fires  were  made  over  which 
their  frugal  meal  was  prepared,  after  which  the  men 
lay  down  to  rest.  Many  persons  there  are  who  would 
think  that  after  escaping  such  perils  once,  it  would  take 
very  great  inducements  to  make  them  thus  expose 
themselves  a  second  time.  Nevertheless,  there  exist 
in  our  land  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  men  who  take 
delight  in  returning  into  the  midst  of  these  dangers. 

A  life  on  the  prairies  of  the  "Far  West"  has  its  good 
chances  as  well  as  its  counter  chances,  and  no  man  can 
be  happier  than  the  true  mountaineer.  At  first,  to  one 
accustomed  to  luxuries  and  modern  refinement,  nothing 


388  A    FLEET-FOOTED    MESSENGER. 

can  be  more  unpleasant  than  a  journey  over  the  plains ; 
but  each  day  thus  spent,  hardens  the  traveler  until 
meals,  that  a  beggar  in  our  towns  or  cities  would 
hardly  deign  to  touch,  are  by  him  eaten  with  a  relish 
to  which  he  has  long  been  a  stranger.  It  is  on  these 
long  tramps  that  the  dyspeptic  and  melancholic  man 
becomes  the  liveliest  of  the  party ;  his  sociability  often 
increases  to  such  a  degree  that  he  soon  can  spin  a  yarn 
in  a  true  Baron  Munchausen  style. 

Kit  Carson,  as  he  rode  silently  along  all  the  following 
day,  had  been  meditating  over  the  scenes  through 
which  he  had  so  recently  passed,  and  also  the  most 
practicable  means  to  be  employed  for  the  future. 
When  the  night  had  fully  set  in,  without  saying  one 
word  to  the  other  members  of  the  party,  he  called  to  a 
young  Mexican  whom  he  knew  to  be  very  fleet  of  foot 
and  whose  powers  of  endurance  were  wonderful.  On  his 
coming  to  him  he  led  him  one  side,  when,  after  he  had 
depicted  to  the  boy  their  fearful  situation  in  its  true 
colors,  he  told  him  that  he  held  the  power  of  saving 
the  lives  of  the  whole  party. 

The  New  Mexicans  of  the  north  are  famous  as  being 
very  fleet  of  foot,  and  the  great  distance  which  they 
can  run  in  a  short  period  of  time  is  astonishing.  As 
a  general  rule,  they  are  very  partial  to  horses,  but, 
when  they  have  no  riding  animal,  they  will  start  on  a 
journey  of  hundreds  of  miles  and  accomplish  it  in  an 
incredibly  short  time.  A  journey  of  forty  or  fifty  miles 
in  a  day  is  an  ordinary  circumstance  with  them,  even 
when  the  inducement  for  making  it,  has  in  its  behalf 
only  a  minor  consideration.  Owing  to  want  of  mail 
routes,  it  sometimes  becomes  necessary  to  dispatch  them 
on  express  duty,  such  as  carrying  one,  or  several  letters 


WONDERFUL    PHYSICAL    ENDURANCE.  389 

to  some  distant  point.  Their  charge  is  wrapped  up 
in  a  handkerchief  and  tied  about  their  waist  to  prevent 
being  lost.  Then,  on  a  jog  trot,  they  will  start  out ;  and 
over  mountains  and  broken  country  they  will  not  alter 
the  pace  for  many  consecutive  hoars,  and  this  for  a  re- 
ward of  one  or  two  dollars  per  diem.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  meet  traveling  companions  where  one  is  on 
horseback  and  the  other  on  foot ;  but  notwithstanding, 
they  will  keep  together  for  an  entire  journey,  and  com- 
plete it  as  quickly  as  if  the  horseman  had  undertaken 
it  alone.  When,  by  chance,  they  come  to  and  stop  at 
a  village  where  there  is  a  fandango  or  other  festive 
scene  in  full  blast,  they  will,  notwithstanding  their  long 
tramp,  join  in  and  dissipate  as  hard  as  any  member  pres- 
ent. Their  healthy  climate,  coarse  but  plain  diet,  and 
the  great  amount  of  exercise  which  they  take  in  the 
open  air,  make  them  capable  of  a  wonderful  amount  of 
physical  endurance,  under  which  they  seem  never  to 
grow  weary.  In  this  respect,  the  only  successful  rivals 
which  they  have,  are  the  Indians.  This  was  the  kind 
of  material  Kit  Carson  had  in  the  Mexican  boy,  whom 
he  was  now  about  to  part  with,  having  detailed  him  for 
a  very  important  duty. 

That  youth  had  long  been  known  by,  and  had  the 
full  confidence  of  his  employer.  He  was  ready  at  his 
bidding  to  undertake  anything.  Therefore,  on  hearing 
the  mission  which  Kit  proposed  sending  him  on,  he 
promised  to  use  every  exertion  in  its  accomplishment, 
and  at  once  set  about  its  execution.  Having  obtained  a 
few  rations  of  provisions,  he  soon  rejoined  Carson. 
They  then  proceeded  outside  of  the  camp,  where  he 
was  to  receive  his  final  instructions.  By  the  dim  light 
of  the  moon,  Kit  pointed  in  the  direction  of  Rayado, 


390       LOOKING  FOR  MOCCASIN  TRACKS. 

where  he  was  to  travel ;  and,  after  warning  him  of  the 
dangerous  places  that  lay  in  his  route,  and  giving  him 
the  message  that  he  was  to  deliver  to  the  commanding 
officer  at  Rayado,  he  bid  him  good-by,  with  the  words, 
"  be  sure  and  leave  a  good  many  miles  between  us,  by 
to-morrow's  sunrise."  The  distance  to  the  settlement 
of  Rayado,  from  Kit  Carson's  camp,  was  between  two 
and  three  hundred  miles,  yet,  this  runner  was  capable 
of  traveling  it  in  as  short  a  period  of  time,  as  could  any 
ordinary  horse.  Kit  now  returned  among  his  men,  not 
to  sleep,  but  to  watch.  This  he  did  until  the  break  of 
the  following  day,  when  he  summoned  all  hands  to 
hitch  up  the  teams  and  proceed.  Until  twelve  o'clock 
no  Indians  were  visible  ;  but,  at  about  that  hour,  five 
of  the  savages  were  seen  approaching.  On  they  came, 
and  when  within  speaking  distance,  Kit  Carson  ordered 
them  to  halt.  They  obeyed  his  command.  On  scanning 
them  closer  he  bade  them  come  nearer,  when,  he  in- 
formed them,  "  that  the  night  before  he  had  sent  an 
express  to  Rayado,  for  the  purpose  of  letting  the 
troops  there  know  of  the  annoyances  their  tribe  were 
causing  him.  "Among  the  soldiers,"  he  said,  "he  had 
many  friends,  who  would  be  certain  to  come  to  his  re- 
lief, and,  if  they  should  find  that  his  party  was  massa- 
cred, which  he  let  the  Indians  know  could  only  be  ac- 
complished by  his  men  being  overpowered,  they  would 
be  already  informed  by  whom  it  was  done,  and  would 
be  sure  to  visit  upon  the  perpetrators  of  the  crime,  a 
terrible  retribution."  The  Indians  said  they  would 
look  for  the  moccasin  tracks  made  by  the  messenger, 
and  thus  decide  whether  that  which  they  had  just 
heard  was  true,  or  not.  Kit  Carson  hearing  this,  at 
once  considered  it  as  the  turning-point  in  favor  of  the 


"  WAS    IT    COWARDICE  ?  "  391 

safety  of  his  party.     The  Indians  immediately  went  to 
look  for  the  trail.     Shortly  afterwards  the  entire  Indian 
village  passed  within  sight,  and  were  evidently  making 
the  best  of  their  time  in  seeking  some  safe  hiding-place. 
The  five  warriors  had,  therefore,  evidently  found  the  ex- 
pressman's trail,  as  they  had  been  informed  that  they 
would,  and  that  the  boy  had  proceeded  too  far  on  his 
journey  to  think  of  pursuing  him.     On  his  way  to  Ra- 
yado,  the  messenger  overtook  the  detachment  of  recruits 
to  which  was  attached  the  officer  who  had  caused  the 
trouble      To  the  commander  of  these  men,  the  young 
Mexican  reported  the  position,  as  he  left  them,  of  his 
employer  and    companions,   but  that    gentleman,   for 
some  unaccountable  reason,  would  not  then  grant  the 
desired  aid ;  therefore,  the  boy  pushed  on  to  Rayado, 
where  he  found  a  warm-hearted   and  brave  soldier  in 
the  person  of  Major  Grier,  who  commanded  the  post. 
The  major,  on  hearing  the  message  sent  by  Kit  Carson, 
immediately  ordered  Lieutenant  R.  Johnston,  his  sub- 
altern officer,  to  take  a  squad  of  dragoons  and  proceed 
to  the    assistance  of  his    countrymen.     While  on  his 
march,  Lieutenant  Johnston   met  with   the  command 
of  recruits  of  whom  we  have  before  spoken.     In  the 
course  of  the  conversation  which  ensued,  Johnston  was 
asked,  by  the  officer  in  charge  of  the   recruits,  what 
was  the   service  he  was   engaged   on  ?  and,  being  in- 
formed,  that   gentleman    probably  gave    the    subject 
deeper  thought,  and  it  may  have  occurred  to  him,  and 
such  is  the  opinion  of  Kit  Carson,  that  if  the  affair  was 
properly  managed,  there  might  be  some  glory  accruing 
from  it.     At  any  rate,  he  suddenly  changed  his  mind, 
and  ordered  a  detail  of  men  to  go  with  the  lieutenant. 
The  relief  party,  thus  re-inforced,  again  started,  and 


392         PRAISEWORTHY    ACTION    OF    MAJOR    GRIER. 

found  Kit  Carson  and  his  train  of  wagons  at  a  point 
that  is  some  twenty-five  miles  below  Bent's  Fort. 
Under  the  escort  of  the  soldiers,  Kit  and  his  men  trav- 
eled in  safety  to  Rayado,  where  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  thanking  Major  Grier  for  his  praiseworthy  and 
prompt  action,  in  succoring  him  and  a  few  other 
•American  citizens  who  had  thus  been  exposed  to  the 
barbarities  of  savages,  made  hostile  by  the  overbearing 
conduct  of  a  man  whose  double  blunder  was  shielded 
by  power.  Although  the  fighting  qualifications  of  the 
soldiers  were  not  called  into  requisition,  yet,  they  per- 
formed a  meritorious  service  by  coming.  They  might 
have  been  instrumental  in  saving  lives  while  protecting 
commerce,  and  their  frequent  visits  to  remote  Indian 
countries,  always  leaves  salutary  impressions  on  the 
minds  of  the  red  men. 

Kit  Carson's  thorough  knowledge  of  Indian  character 
and  his  established  bravery  and  integrity  ought,  it  ap- 
pears to  us,  to  have  been  a  sufficient  guaranty  to  this 
officer,  that  he  was  acting  in  good  faith  when  he  asked, 
through  the  proper  channel,  that  protection  to  which 
he  was  certainly  entitled  while  pursuing  the  necessary 
though  hazardous  business,  connected  with  the  com- 
merce of  the  plains. 

Never,  throughout  his  eventful  career,  had  Kit  Car- 
son refused  to  offer  his  services  in  the  cause  of  a  coun- 
tryman who  stood  in  need  of  them ;  and  now,  when  the 
first  time  came  that  he  felt  it  necessarv  to  make  the 
call  for  assistance,  he  could  not  understand  why  two 
valuable  days  were  allowed  to  pass,  by  an  officer  who 
could  have  aided  him,  without  some  notice  being  taken 
of  his  urgent  requisition  It  is  true  that  by  some, 
especially  those  who  were  not  acquainted  with  the  char- 


AN    AMUSING    INCIDENT.  393 

acter  of  Kit  Carson,  he  was  regarded  as  being  ever 
anxious  for  an  Indian  fight ;  but  had  this  been  the  case, 
he  would  have  long  since  paid  the  forfeit  with  his  life. 
To  contradict  such  a  statement,  we  have  but  to  appeal 
to  the  reader  of  this  narrative,  and  ask  him  to  bear 
testimony  to  the  marked  discretion  that  has  so  far 
coupled  itself  with  Kit  Carson's  fame.  An  amusing  in- 
cident which  came  under  the  eye  of  the  writer,  is  to 
the  point. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  so-called  gold  "  fever  "  of 
California,  when  parties  were  organizing  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  to  proceed  overland  to  the  Pacific,  we 
chanced  to  be  present  at  a  meeting  held  by  one  of  the 
companies.  As  most  of  those  present  were  entirely  un- 
acquainted with  the  country  to  be  passed  over,  and  as 
they  were  anxious  to  place  themselves  in  a  safe  posi- 
tion, some  one  proposed  that  Kit  Carson  should  be  em- 
ployed as  a  guide,  provided  his  services  could  be  had. 
This  was  ruled  out.  The  amusing  part  of  this  incident 
consists  in  the  reason  which  governed  this  judgment. 
It  was  on  account  of  the  fear  that  he  might  lead  them 
out  of  their  way  in  order  to  engage  in  some  bloody  In- 
dian fight,  it  being  generally  represented  and  believed 
that  he  was  sanguinarily  inclined.  Cheap  literature 
had  so  ferociously  made  the  man,  that  he,  of  all  men 
most  experienced,  could  not  be  trusted,  showing  thereby 
how  little  had  been  known  of  the  real  Kit  Carson. 


•23 


394  THE    LAST    TRAPPING    EXPEDITION. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Kit  Carson's  last  Trapping  Expedition — He  Embarks  in  a  Speculation— 
His  Trip  to  California  with  a  large  Flock  of  Sheep — The  Methods  em- 
ployed by  Mexicans  in  driving  Herds  and  their  Dexterity — Kit  Carson 
goes  to  San  Francisco — Its  wonderful  Growth — Maxwell  joins  Kit 
Carson   at   Sacramento   City — The  Lucky  Speculation — The  Return 

,  Trip  to  New  Mexico  and  its  Adventures — The  Mormon  Delegate  to 
Congress  informs  Kit  Carson  of  his  Appointment  as  Indian  Agent — 
Kit  Carson  enters  upon  the  Duties  of  his  Office — Bell's  Fight  with  the 
Apaches  on  Red  River — Kit  Carson's  Interview  with  the  same  Indians — 
High-handed  Measures  on  the  Part  of  the  Apaches — Davidson's  Des- 
perate Fight  with  them — The  Soldiers  defeated  with  Severe  Loss — 
Davidson's  Bravery  is  unjustly  Questioned — Kit  Carson's  Opinion  of 
it — The  Apaches  elated  by  their  Victory — Their  Imitations  of  the  Ac- 
tions of  Military  Men. 

The  expedition  into  the  United  States,  which  termi- 
nated with  the  last  chapter,  proved  to  be  valuable  in 
its  results,  so  far  as  the  parties  engaged  in  it  were  con- 
cerned. Kit  Carson  was  once  more  trying  hard  to 
keep  quiet  in  his  comfortable  home  at  Rayado.  But 
his  restless  spirit  was  not  proof  against  this  inactivity. 
His  stay  at  home,  therefore,  was  short.  The  memories 
of  other  days  came  upon  him,  and  he  longed  once  more 
to  enjoy,  in  company  with  the  "  friends  of  his  youth," 
the  scenes,  excitements  and  pleasures  of  his  old  life  as 
trapper.  Throughout  his  eventful  life,  as  the  reader 
has  been  able  clearly  to  see,  Kit  Carson  seldom  spent 
his  time  in  idle  thinking.  His  thoughts  almost  invari- 
ably  took  form  in  actions.    This  eager  longing  resulted, 


MEETING    FRIENDS    OF    HIS    YOUTH.  395 

therefore,  in  the  forming  of  a  regular  trapping  expedi- 
tion, after  the  olden  style,  shape,  etc.,  which  he  organ- 
ized with  great  care  and  attention.  The  members  of 
the  party  were  selected  by  himself,  chiefly  with  great 
exclusiveness,  and  numbers  who  wished  to  join  the 
party  were  refused,  on  account  of  their  inexperience. 
After  a  good  deal  of  inquiry,  Kit  succeeded  in  collect- 
ing eighteen  of  his  old  companions  No  one  among 
them  was  not  entitled  to  be  called  a  mountaineer.  Kit 
looked  upon  his  party  of  men  with  an  eye  of  real  affec- 
tion. The  meeting,  previous  to  the  start,  was  a  scene 
to  behold.  Such  a  greeting  of  old  friends,  well  tried 
and  true,  will  never  again  be  seen  on  the  American 
continent.  The  day  when  men  went  trapping  was 
"long  time  ago."  Kit  Carson,  as  he  stood  among  his 
band  of  friends,  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  party, 
every  man  of  whom  he  knew  would  have  periled  his 
life  for  either  one  of  the  company,  felt  that,  indeed, 
the  days  of  his  youth  had  returned  unto  him. 

Everything  preliminary  was  arranged  in  the  most 
approved  style.  When  all  was  complete,  Kit  Carson, 
mounted  on  his  magnificent  charger,  Apache,  riding  to 
the  head  of  the  line,  gave  the  order  to  march.  Kit  had 
put  it  to  vote,  and  the  result  was  unanimous,  that  the 
expedition  should  be  no  boys'  play.  On  the  contrary, 
the  boldest  and  one  of  the  longest  of  the  routes  known  to 
their  experienced  footsteps  was  selected.  It  comprised 
many  of  the  mighty  rivers  of  the  Eocky  Mountains, 
every  one  of  which  was  almost  a  hunting  ground  by 
itself.  Onward,  over  the  wild  and  broad  plains,  this 
band  of  stalwart  men,  brave  and  kindred  spirits,  dashed. 
They  soon  put  many  a  mile  between  them  and  the 
comfortable  firesides  at  Rayado.     But  these  miles,  Kit 


396  BEATER  IN  GREAT  NUMBERS. 

Carson  has  often  said,  were  the  shortest  he  ever  trav- 
eled. The  way  was  beguiled  by  many  a  recollection,  in 
which  every  man  present  could  participate  with  a  rel- 
ish, keen  as  disuse  alone  can  render  the  palate  of  en- 
joyment. In  a  short  time  the  well-remembered  waters 
of  the  South  Fork  of  the  River  Platte  were  descried. 
Their  practiced  eyes  soon  discovered  the  oft-noted 
"signs  of  the  beaver."  The  camp  was  formed  and  the 
traps  set.  The  beaver,  so  long  left  to  mind  their  own 
business,  had  increased  in  great  numbers.  The  hunt 
proved  correspondingly  successful.  The  party  contin- 
ued working  down  the  stream  through  the  plains  of 
Laramie  to  the  North  Park,  and  from  thence  on  to  the 
South  Park  We  cannot  follow  them  through  this 
long  and  enlivening  hunt.  They  trapped  a  large 
number  of  their  old  streams  until,  finally,  the  expe- 
dition terminated  on  the  Arkansas  River.  Through- 
out the  whole  course  the  hunt  proved  to  be  very  suc- 
cessful. With  a  large  stock  of  furs  they  returned  in 
safety  to  Rayado,  via  the  Raton  Mountains,  which  are 
spurs  of  the  great  Rocky  chain. 

The  fact  that  most  of  the  old  trappers  had  given  up 
their  vocation,  furnishes  the  reason  why  the  beaver 
were  found,  along  the  entire  route,  to  be  so  plentiful. 
We  desire  that  the  reader  shall  paint  for  himself  the 
enjoyment  which  these  men  gathered  in  this  renewal 
of  a  pursuit  rendered  congenial  by  the  experience  of 
long  years  of  activity  in  following  it.  It  has  been  our 
purpose  to  enable  the  reader  to  gather  a  spark  of  this 
same  enjoyment  by  the  endeavor  to  make  of  him  an 
amateur  trapper.  He  has  followed  Kit  Carson  through- 
out the  trapping  expeditions  of  his  earlier  life.  It  is  to 
be  supposed  that  with  Kit  he  has  acquired  some  expe- 


"there  she  blows. "'  397 

rience.  With  Kit,  therefore,  he  shall  now  receive  his 
final  polishing,  and  if  he  does  not  in  the  end  catch  a 
beaver,  he  shall  at  least  learn  how  they  are  caught,  and 
all  the  necessary  minutiae  of  toil  which  he  must  expect 
to  encounter  and  undergo. 

On  striking  any  river,  when  on  the  hunt,  the  trap- 
pers are  accustomed  to  keep  a  bright  lookout  for  signs, 
often  heretofore  referred  to.  The  word  "signs"  con- 
veys  but  a  vague  idea  of  its  all-important  meaning,  as 
it  was  received  by  the  trappers.  The  news  of  the 
presence  of  "signs"  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  through  the 
hunters  of  the  olden  time  only  equaled  on  board 
of  whale-ships  when  the  man  at  the  lookout  cries, 
"  There  she  bloics."  It  rarely  happens  that  this  cun- 
ning, amphibious  animal  can  be  seen  moving  free, 
either  on  the  river  banks  or  in  the  water ;  for  nature 
has  given  him  no  powerful  weapons  with  which  to  de- 
fend himself  when  surprised  and  attacked ;  but,  what 
is  better,  she  has  endowed  him  with  exceedingly  sensi' 
tive  eyesight  and  hearing,  which  enables  him  to  detect 
the  approach  of  danger  in  time  to  escape.  The  marks, 
however,  which  he  leaves  behind  are,  for  a  time,  in- 
effaceable. These  were  only  to  be  detected  and  used 
for  his  own  purposes,  by  the  superior  intellect  of  man. 
The  unequaled  industry  of  gnawing  down  trees  and 
cutting  twigs,  peeling  off  the  tender  cuticle  of  the 
willow  bushes,  digging  away  banks,  and  carrying  on 
their  shovel-shaped  tail  the  earth,  together  with  in- 
numerable foot-prints  and  sometimes  dams,  were  the 
items  which  filled  up  the  catalogue  of  "signs"  on 
which  the  trapper's  vision  was  regaled  after  long  and 
dangerous  tramps  in  search  of  them.  These  "signs" 
were  not  always  found  together ;  but,  instead,  they 


398  EXPLODING    ERRONEOUS    IDEAS. 

each  could  exist  separately,  and  thus  would  arouse  the 
hunter's  suspicion  of  game  near  by.  The  little  twig, 
as  it  floated  down  the  stream,  half  denuded  of  its  bark, 
would  go  unheeded  by  the  casual  observer,  but,  to  the 
experienced  trapper,  it  was  a  prize  to  be  obtained  ;  for, 
by  its  freshness,  it  indicated  to  his  mind  how  near  he 
was  to  the  chance  of  obtaining  and  adding  another 
pound  or  so  of  valuable  fur  to  his  stock  on  hand.  To 
him  this  small  event,  or  one  like  it,  as  for  instance  a 
fresh  foot-print,  with  its  neatly-defined  claw-tracks,  as 
moulded  in  the  moistened  earth  or  sand,  was  of  greater 
importance  than  the  wonderful  and  striking  workman- 
ship exhibited  in  a  dam ;  for,  the  latter  might  be  old 
and  deserted,  whereas,  the  former  was  too  recent  to 
cause  him  to  be  deceived  with  such  a  sign  ;  and  in 
such  a  vicinity  he  hesitated  not  to  set  his  trap. 

An  idea  prevails  which  ought  to  be  exploded.  It  is 
boldly  asserted  that  the  beaver  builds  his  dam  for  the 
purpose  of  having  a  nice  swimming-pond  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  residence,  which  is  always  located  in  the 
river's  bank.  This  is  not  true ;  for,  in  every  stream 
which  he  inhabits,  if  this  was  his  sole  object,  he  could 
select  many  natural  places  where  the  water  is  without 
a  ripple  and  where  it  is  both  deep  and  broad.  The  ani- 
mal has  a  wiser  object  in  view;  and  it  consists  in  pro- 
viding against  the  pinching  wants  of  hunger  during 
winter,  when  nearly  everything  green  has  lost  its  sap 
and  nutrition,  and  is,  as  a  body,  without  blood  and  ani- 
mation. He  therefore  chooses  a  place  favorable  for 
obtaining  food,  and  also  where  his  labors  will  be  assisted 
by  natural  formations  or  accidents  in  the  river's  course 
and  construction.  Having  pitched  upon  the  right  section 
to  build,  he  sets  to  work  with  bis  fellows  and  fells  giant 


SYSTEMATIC    BUILDING.  399 

trees.  In  this  he  again  exhibits  his  wonderful  instinct; 
for,  while  one  part}-  is  cutting  with  their  sharp  teeth 
the  hard  wood  of  one  side  of  the  tree,  another  division 
is  actively  employed  on  the  other  side,  never  forgetting 
to  make,  like  unto  the  woodman,  the  lowest  incision  on 
the  side  the  tree  is  to  fall,  which,  to  suit  their  purposes,  is 
always  directly  into  and  across  the  stream.  When  a  tree 
is  thus  fallen,  it  is  attacked  in  its  branches,  which  are  so 
turned  and  woven  together  in  the  outline  of  the  dam  as 
to  catch  in  their  meshes  any  floating  material,  or  receive 
the  tail-loads  of  soil  and  rubbish  which  they  carry  to  it. 
Another  and  another  tree  are  then  systematically  fallen 
and  arranged  as  is  the  first,  until  the  work  is  finished 
as  completely  as  if  it  had  been  planned  and  executed 
by  a  reasoning  mind.  The  finishing  stroke  is  the  trans- 
porting of  the  mud  and  laying  it.  In  this  labor,  they 
show  themselves  to  be  excellent  masons.  They  now 
act  in  concert.  A  large  gang  marches  in  line  to  the 
bank,  wmere  they  load  each  other's  tails  and  swim  with 
their  cargoes  elevated  above  and  free  from  the  water. 
When  they  arrive  at  an  unfinished  point  of  the  dam, 
they  dump  the  mud  and  mould  it  in  place.  Their 
houses  they  have  jDreviously  built  in  the  river  banks 
These  consist  of  holes  which  lead  into  large  and  airy 
subterranean  rooms,  and  which  are  above  the  water- 
mark. In  these  houses  they  are  said  to  sleep  and  live 
in  pairs;  and,  if  we  could  believe  the  story  of  the  trap- 
per, related  many  pages  back,  they  imitate  human  be- 
ings in  managing  their  household  and  in  keeping  house. 
The  main  object  they  have  in  staying  the  progress  of 
the  current  of  the  river  is  to  afford  a  deep  place  where, 
having  fallen  numbers  of  trees,  the  deep  water  will  pre- 
serve tender  and  fresh  the  limbs  and  shrubs  on  which  to 


400  DOMESTICATED    BEAVER. 

subsist  during,  not  only  time  present,  but  also  time  to 
come.  It  is  well  known  that  fresh  branches  of  trees 
and  young  willows,  when  placed  in  water,  will  keep  up 
partial  life  for  a  considerable  length  of  time.  On  this 
principle,  the  beaver  acts  in  submerging  his  food  deep 
in  the  water,  where  it  will  retain  its  verdure,  and  where 
the  freezing  process  that  is  going  on  at  the  surface  of 
the  river  will  not  bar  his  efforts  in  getting  at  his  store 
of  provisions  during  the  winter  season.  It  is  said  that 
the  bearer  goes  so  far  as  to  bundle  up  small  branches 
of  trees  and  willows,  which  he  stows  away  in  the  muddy 
bottom  of  the  river.  The  trapper,  in  his  wondrous 
yarns,  insists  that  there  are  grades  of  society  among 
beavers,  the  same  as  among  men ;  and  he  will  have  it 
that  they  have  their  "head  chiefs,"  and  that  often  indi- 
viduals among  them  roll  in  wealth,  and  that  they  have 
slaves  who  stand  ready  to  do  their  master's  bidding  at 
a  moment's  warning ;  for  instance,  to  bring  them  a 
bundle  of  green  twigs  on  which  to  feast.  According  to 
their  imaginative  stories,  the  life  of  a  beaver  cannot  be 
rivaled  in  happiness  ;  and  if  we  could  put  full  credence 
in  their  descriptions  of  the  pastimes  of  the  animal,  his 
palaces  and  luxuries,  we  could  only  compare  a  beaver 
to  a  citizen  of  Venice  in  her  most  palmy  days — the  dif- 
ference between  the  two  being,  that  the  former  enjoyed 
himself  more  in  the  water  than  the  latter  did  on  it  in 
his  favorite  gondola. 

The  beaver,  when  captured  young,  can  be  sufficiently 
domesticated  to  make  him  a  pet ;  but  their  unattractive 
form  is  anything  but  an  ornament  to  the  house.  With 
young  children,  they  are  very  friendly,  though  their 
disposition  is  amiable  to  any  one.  They  are  very  neat 
in  their  person,  and,  when  moved  from  their  comrades 


SUPERSTITIOUS    TRAPPERS.  401 

and  domiciled  with  human  beings,  nothing  do  they  so 
much  like  as  being  allowed  the  daily  privilege  of  taking 
a  clean  bath.  When  thus  engaged,  they  are  a  curiosity 
to  look  at,  as  they  are  very  agile  and  particular  in  re- 
moving every  particle  of  dirt.  We  remember  seeing 
one  of  these  pets  in  the  Mexican  town  of  Culebro  thus 
enjoying  himself.  His  owner  hesitated  not  in  taking 
the  animal  to  the  river,  which  was  close  by,  and  giving 
him  his  freedom.  On  finishing  his  ablutions  the  beaver 
returned  to  where  his  owner  was  standing,  without 
making  an  effort  to  escape,  and  by  a  look  as  much  as 
said,  "I  am  ready  to  return  to  your  home." 

The  signs  having  been  discovered,  the  trappers  next 
select  a  suitable  location  for  a  camp,  which  they  soon 
occupy.  After  the  pack  animals  are  unloaded,  a  part 
of  the  men  start  out  to  set  the  traps,  while  the  remainder 
busy  themselves  in  looking  after  their  wants  and  in 
cooking  and  guarding  their  property,  etc.  The  trap  is 
very  much  like  the  same  instrument  used  in  different 
sections  of  the  United  States  for  catching  foxes,  wolves, 
etc.,  excepting,  that  it  is  smaller  and  perhaps  made  with 
more  skill.  Old  trappers  were  very  superstitious  in 
regard  to  the  makers  of  their  traps,  for  they  entertained 
the  idea  that  muph  of  their  good  or  bad  fortune  de- 
pended on  the  tools  they  worked  with ;  hence,  they 
always  had  their  favorite  makers,  and  would  pay  more 
for  their  traps,  than  for  those  of  any  other  maker.  This 
is  true  also  of  their  rifles.  For  many  years  a  rifle  was 
condemned  at  first  sight  if  it  did  not  have  the  name 
of  Hawkins  *  stamped  on  it,  and  it  was  not  uncommon 
for  them,  when  boasting  of  the  good  qualities  of  their 
riding  animals,  if  they  considered  them  of  the  maximum 

*  Mr.  Hawkins  was  the  owner  of  a  large  gun  establishment  at  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


402  IN    FULL    DRESS    FOR   AN    EXPEDITION. 

degree  of  superiority,  to  style  them  "  regular  Hawkins 
horses,"  thereby  showing  how  far,  in  this  respect,  their 
predilections  grounded  their  opinions. 

The  setting  of  the  trap  required  expertness  and  ex- 
perience, or  else  it  availed  nothing ;  for  the  game  to  be 
caught  is,  as  the  reader  can  now  readily  conceive,  very 
wary,  and  his  suspicions  of  there  being  anything  wrong 
near  at  hand,  had  to  be  allayed  by  concealing  as  much 
as  possible  the  instrument  from  view  ;  yet  it  must  not 
be  far  from  the  surface  of  the  water ;  and  then  again 
it  had  to  be  firmly  fixed  in  its  position,  by  being  made 
fast  to  something  that  was  firm,  so  as  to  prevent  its  be- 
ing dragged  off.  The  trapper,  while  thus  engaged,  is 
in  the  water.  About  his  waist  there  is  a  strap  to  which 
is  attached  a  pouch  in  which  is  carried  the  bait.  Every- 
thing being  arranged,  the  trap  is  set  and  the  bait  ap- 
plied, when  the  man  notes  the  place  where  he  has  been 
at  work,  so  as  to  recognize  it  again,  and  then  takes  his 
departure,  to  return  early  the  following  morning.  The 
beaver,  during  this  interim,  is  attracted  by  the  peculiar 
scent  of  the  bait,  and,  as  a  reward  for  his  curiosity,  he 
generally  is  caught  by  one  of  his  paws,  and  thus  falls  a 
prey  to  the  hunter's  pleasure.  The  traps,  when  visited, 
are  relieved  of  the  contents  and  then  set  again.  The 
game  is  put  out  of  its  misery  and  carried  to  camp, 
where  it  is  skinned,  and  where  all  the  pelts  recently 
taken  are  stretched  out,  dried,  cured,  and  packed  in 
small  bales,  whenever  a  sufficient  quantity  is  obtained 
so  to  do  with  it.  The  trapper,  when  in  full  dress  for 
an  expedition,  and  especially  after  having  been  on  one 
with  its  concomitant  hair-breadth  escapes,  Indian  and 
bear  fights,  etc.,  cuts,  to  all  appearances,  a  sorrowful 
figure.     His  wardrobe  is  meager  in  the  extreme,  yet  it 


THE    TRAPPER'S    OUTFIT.  403 

answers  all  of  his  purposes,  and  the  man  would  have  no 
other.  When  summed  up,  it  would  be  found  to  consist 
usually  of  two  pairs  of  moccasins,  one  (or  two  pair)  of 
buckskin  pantaloons,  two  woolen  shirts,  a  loose,  fringed 
buckskin  coat  and  an  old  slouched  hat  (usually  made  of 
some  kind  of  skin  with  the  fur  on).  His  baggage,  lim- 
ited to  a  very  small  bundle,  comprises  his  blankets,  a 
buffalo  robe  or  two,  a  spare  hide  of  dressed  buckskin, 
his  extra  garments  above  spoken  of,  and  a  little  tobacco 
(when  it  can  be  had).  These,  with  his  camp  kettle  and 
outfit  of  powder,  lead,  extra  traps,  scanty  allowance  of 
provisions,  guns,  pistols,  horses,  bridles,*  saddles,  etc., 
make  up  his  traveling  and  working  kit ;  it  may  be  only 
for  a  few  months,  or  it  may  be  for  years.  With  them 
he  was  ready  to  penetrate  the  loftiest  mountains  and 
unexplored  regions.  This  is  but  a  true  picture,  in  a 
brief  space,  of  the  appearance  of  Kit  Carson  and  the 
resources  of  his  earlier  days,  the  tools  he  had  to  work 
with,  the  mode  of  doing  his  labor,  and  the  habits  of  the 
animal  he  diligently  hunted  for  several  years,  in  order 
that  his  fellow-man  might  convert  into  a  luxury  the 
products  of  his  toil ;  yet,  had  he  been  allowed  the 
choice,  he  would  not  have  exchanged  situations  with 
the  consumer  of  the  commodity.  In  the  company  of 
his  boon  companions,  and  enjoying  the  pure  mountain 
air,  he  had  often  seen  as  happy  hours  as  ever  fell  to 
the  lot  of  any  man.  And  now  he  was  starting  out  on 
probably  his  last  trapping  expedition. 

The  party  did  not  return  to  their  homes  until  sev- 


*  Thesis  saddles  and  bridles  are  queer-looking  articles;  but,  for  use,  they  could  not 
be  surpassed  either  for  durability  or  comfort.  Their  bridle  bits  are  the  same  as  are  used 
by  the  Mexicans.  They  are  very  powerful,  and  intended  for  managing  wild  horses  and 
mules,  particularly  the  latter.  With  one  in  his  mouth,  an  animal  cannot  drink  or  feed. 
A  Mexican  only  waters  his  horse  twice  a  day  when  traveling,  viz.,  morning  and  night. 


404  IN   THE    SHEEP    BUSINESS. 

eral  months  had  expired,  and,  as  much  of  the  excite- 
ment that  used  to  pertain  to  their  former  exploits  had 
been  worn  off  from  the  changes  brought  about  by  civ- 
ilization, they  decided  that  this,  as  far  as  they  were 
concerned,  should  be  their  last  trapping  expedition ; 
therefore,  this  visit  to  their  old  haunts  was  a  sort  of 
funeral  service  performed  over  their  early  adventures. 
On  quitting  each  favorite  river,  the  trappers  felt  that 
they  were  shaking  hands  with  the  streams  and  bidding 
them,  one  by  one,  a  final  good-by. 

Kit  Carson,  after  disposing  of  his  beaver,  occupied 
himself  in  attending  to  his  ranch,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed when  news  was  brought  to  New  Mexico  of  the 
exorbitant  prices  which  sheep  were  bringing  in  Cali- 
fornia. He  made  up  his  mind  to  embark  in  a  specula- 
tion in  those  animals  by  collecting  a  herd  and  driving 
it  to  that  territory.  He  set  out  for  the  valley  of  Rio 
Abajo,  which  lies  to  the  south  of  Santa  Fe,  and  there, 
to  his  satisfaction,  made  his  purchases.  In  company 
with  two  friends,  after  employing  a  suitable  number 
of  shepherds,  he  commenced  his  journey  and  traveled 
northward  to  Fort  Laramie,  where  he  came  to  and  fol- 
lowed the  emigrant  road  that  leads  direct  into  Cali- 
fornia via  Salt  Lake,  etc.  In  the  month  of  August, 
1853,  after  meeting  with  very  trifling  losses,  as  he 
traveled  very  slowly  and  understood  thoroughly  the 
business  he  was  employed  in.  Kit  Carson,  with  his  flock 
of  sixty-five  hundred  sheep,  reached  the  point  of  his 
destination  in  California,  where  he  found  no  difficulty 
in  disposing  of  them  at  the  rate  of  five  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  per  head. 

The  making  of  these  long  journeys  with  such  large 
herds  of  sheep,  over  a  diversified   country,  sometimes 


TROUBLESOME    TRIBES    OF    INDIANS.  405 

abounding  in  water  and  grass,  while  on  the  other  hand, 
and  not  unfrequently,  for  many  miles,  the  earth  is  bar- 
ren, is  a  difficult  task.  When  broad,  deep  and  swift 
rivers  are  to  be  forded,  it  requires  dexterity  and  man- 
agement to  prevent  heavy  losses. 

The  trail  which  Kit  Carson  followed  to  Fort  Laramie 
is  now  a  well-beaten  path.  It  runs  almost  due  north 
from  Taos,  and  abounds,  in  the  proper  season,  in  good 
grass  and  water.  For  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles,  it  passes  through  a  broken  country,  but  when 
that  distance  is  accomplished,  the  traveler  is  ushered 
on  to  the  plains  and  keeps  on  them  for  most  of  the 
way  close  under  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  scenery 
on  this  route  is  most  magnificent,  and  at  times  as  grand 
perhaps  as  can  be  seen  in  any  part  of  the  world.  The 
distance  from  Taos,  Kit  Carson's  starting-point,  to 
Laramie  River,  is  counted  by  hundreds  of  miles ;  and 
in  this  great  tract  of  country,  there  lived  several  of  the 
largest  and  most  troublesome  tribes  of  Indians  in  the 
far  West.  The  names  of  these  tribes  are  the  Utahs, 
Apaches,  Arrapahoes,  Cheyennes  and  Sioux.  A  man 
with  a  large  drove  of  sheep  is  so  conspicuous  an  object 
that  he  is  certain  to  attract  their  notice  and  bring 
them  to  him.  Kit  Carson,  however,  was  well  received 
by  them  and  allowed  to  pass  unmolested.  They  were 
pleased  to  find  so  formidable  an  enemy  moving  boldly 
into  their  country  and  bearing  the  olive-branch  of 
peace.  He,  however,  forgot  not  to  pay  them  toll  by 
presenting  them  with  a  suitable  number  of  the  sheep. 
In  this  way  he  prevented  them  from  being  tempted  to 
steal  from  him.  This  is  a  usual  custom,  and  the  In- 
dians expect  that  this  sort  of  attention  will  be  shown 
them.     They  do  not  like,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  to 


406  SQUAWS  COLLECTING  TOLL. 

have  these  herds  pass  through  their  country.  Being 
so  large,  they  eat  up  much  of  their  grass,  which  assists 
greatly  to  drive  away  the  game.  We  remember  on 
one  occasion  that  an  American,  in  charge  of  several 
thousand  sheep,  started  on  a  journey  from  New  Mexico 
to  California.  Everything  went  prosperously  with  the 
man  until  he  left  the  Raton  Mountains  and  entered  the 
country  inhabited  by  the  Arrapahoes  and  Cheyennes. 
At  first,  he  was  received  in  a  friendly  manner  by  these 
Indians ;  but  was  commanded  by  them  to*  rest  where 
he  was  until  they  went  ahead  and  killed  their  annual 
amount  of  buffalo.  This  the  man  could  not  do ;  for 
the  season  was  so  far  advanced  that  if  he  dela}Ted,  and 
then  attempted  to  make  California,  he  would  be  cer- 
tainly overtaken  by  snow-storms  which  would  bury  him 
and  his  property  in  the  mountains.  In  vain  he  used 
his  best  endeavors  to  impress  this  state  of  affairs  on 
the  minds  of  the  Indians.  They  would  not  listen  to 
him  or  sanction  his  going  on,  and  threatened  to  pun- 
ish him  if  he  undertook  to  disobey  them.  Bidding 
defiance  to  these  threats,  this  man  started ;  but  had 
only  proceeded  a  few  miles,  when  a  band  of  one  hun- 
dred squaws,  mounted  on  horseback,  overtook  him  and 
dashed  into  his  herd,  and  with  savage  delight  put  to 
death  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  sheep  before  their 
owner's  eyes  and  without  his  being  able  to  stop  them. 
The  carcasses  of  the  slaughtered  animals  were  left  to 
rot  on  the  ground,  thereby  showing  that  the  Indians 
did  not  stand  in  need  of  food,  but  that  they  wished  to 
teach  the  intruder  a  lesson  which  he  would  be  apt  to 
remember.  These  women  had  been  sent  out  by  their 
husbands,  who  no  doubt  were  close  by  in  case  their 
services   should  be  needed,  to  show  to  the  white  man 


PECULIARITIES    OF    INDIAN   WOMEN.  407 

the  contempt  they  had  of  his  power.  The  result  was 
that  the  American  was  obliged  to  return  to  New 
Mexico,  from  whence  he  came.  When  he  set  out 
again,  he  chose  what  is  known  as  the  Southern  Route, 
which  runs  via  the  Rio  Gila  and  strikes  California  in 
its  lower  section. 

In  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  Indian  women  are 
rather  small  in  stature,  but,  from  their  constant  exer- 
cise they  are  physically  very  strong.  They  are  natu- 
rally not  wanting  in  modesty ;  but,  being  compelled  to 
work,  and  even  engage  in  war,  they  soon  become  rough- 
ened and  hardened.  Their  dresses  consist  principally 
of  deer  skins,  and  sometimes  they  are  very  tastefully 
arranged.  They  give  birth  to  their  children  with  great 
ease,  and,  as  they  have  not  become  martyrs  to  fashions, 
or  dress,  they  suffer  but  little  inconvenience  from  this 
provision  of  nature.  The  children  learn,  during  their 
earliest  years,  to  look  out  for  themselves,  and  soon  be- 
come expert  at  it.  The  marriage  ceremony  amounts  to 
little  or  nothing,  and  consists  of  a  mere  barter.  The 
warrior  is  obliged  to  pay  so  many  horses  to  the  father 
for  the  bride.  We  remember,  on  one  occasion,  buying 
a  superior  pony  from  a  trader,  who  said  that  he  had 
obtained  him  from  his  Indian  owner  with  great  diffi- 
culty. The  facts  were  as  follows:  This  Indian  was  in 
love  with  a  young  maiden  of  his  tribe.  The  young 
girl  wished  some  silver  ornaments  which  the  trader 
had.  The  only  thing  the  warrior  had  to  exchange  for 
these  trinkets,  was  his  prized  pony.  An  old  chief  stood 
by  with  the  trader  and  saw  the  warrior  look  and  sigh  at 
his  horse.  The  chief  gave  the  trader  a  wink,  and  said 
in  a  low  tone  of  voice  to  him :  "  That  man  loves  his 
horse  and  he  loves  his  affianced  bride,   but   the    bride 


408     TERRIBLE  SYMPTOMS  OF  HYDROPHOBIA. 

elect  will  conquer.  Hold  on,  and  he  will  sacrifice  the 
horse  to  please  the  girl.  His  love  for  her  is  the  deep- 
est feeling."  Sure  enough  this  came  true,  and  we  never 
regretted  that  it  was  so.  The  pony  proved  a  valuable 
addition  to  our  stock  of  animals. 

Besides  the  many  clangers  to  his  flock  which  a  person 
runs  the  risk  of,  both  from  the  numerous  accidents  to 
which  it  is  liable,  and  the  unwelcome  visits  of  the  In- 
dians when  thus  traveling,  there  are  others  which  may 
occasionally  happen  to  his  own  person.  He  may  be, 
while  standing  guard,  suddenly  attacked  and  bitten  by 
a  mad  wolf.  On  this  event  occurring,  he  is  almost  cer- 
tain to  be  seized  with  that  terrible,  and  we  might  as 
well  add  incurable  disease,  hydrophobia,  which  renders 
him  a  most  pitiful  object  to  behold.  From  a  human  be- 
ing so  recently  respected  and  beloved  by  his  companions, 
a  person,  thus  unfortunate,  is  suddenly  changed  into  an 
object  most  dreaded  and  detested.  A  party  of  Mexi- 
cans in  charge  of  a  large  herd  of  sheep,  a  few  years 
since,  were  bound  to  California.  One  night  a  large, 
ferocious  wolf  entered  the  camp,  and  bit  a  man  in  the 
leg.  Symptoms  of  hydrophobia  very  soon  set  in,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  victim  was  a  confirmed  case  of  the 
disease.  His  comrades  had  no  proper  means  of  taking 
care  of  and  transporting  him,  as  they  were  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  nearest  house.  They  were  superstitious, 
and  believed  that  all  would  die  if  they  kept  the  man's 
company  any  longer  ;  accordingly,  they  drove  a  stake 
in  the  ground,  to  which  they  inhumanly  secured  him  ; 
and,  after  depositing  a  small  allowance  of  provisions 
near  by,  they  left  him  to  die.  Human  bones  were 
afterwards  found  near  the  identical  spot  where  it  was 
said  this  unfortunate  incident  happened,  which  offered 


ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP.  409 

strong  circumstantial  evidence  that  the  man  had  eked 
out  a  miserable  existence  soon  after  he  was  deserted  by 
his  so-called  friends,  and  also,  that  the  truth  of  this  story 
rested  upon  strong  probability. 

When  the  Americans  first  obtained  possession  of 
New  Mexico,  sheep  could  be  bought  at  the  rate  of 
twenty -five  cents  per  head.  The  reason  of  this  was, 
the  want  of  a  market  and  the  ease  with  which  they 
were  raised.  Cheapness  of  labor  also  assisted  in  reduc- 
ing their  value.  The  wool  of  these  sheep  was  rather 
coarse,  resembling  hair  more  than  wool.  The  only 
use  in  which  it  was  employed,  was  for  manufacturing 
blankets,  rough  carpet,  and  in  filling  mattresses.  The 
valley  of  the  Rio  Grande  is  wonderful  as  a  sheep  grow- 
ing; countrv.  The  mountain  districts  also  cannot  be 
excelled  in  this  respect.  Their  fitness  for  grazing  is 
best  exemplified  by  their  abounding  in  the  famous 
Rocky  Mountain  sheep.  In  many  respects  this  animal 
resembles  the  chamois.  They  live  on  the  tops  of  the 
highest  peaks,  eat  the  tenderest  grass,  and  produce  the 
finest  flavored  mutton  in  the  world.  One  of  their 
heads,  with  the  horns,  often  weighs  one  hundred 
pounds.  To  shoot  them  requires  all  of  an  experienced 
hunter's  skill,  and,  when  he  has  brought  down  one  of 
these  trophies,  he  feels  he  has  done  more  than  if  he 
had  killed  ten  deer.  The  sight  of  one  of  these  moun- 
tain sheep,  as  perched  on  a  high,  rocky  peak,  is  beau- 
tiful. The  hostile  Indians  are  the  main  drawback  in 
New  Mexico,  to  the  successful  raising  of  sheep. 

The  usual  modus  operandi  employed  by  Mexican 
herders,  who  cannot  be  surpassed  in  their  vocation,  to 
which  they  appear  to  take  intuitively,  although  many 
of  them  serve   an  apprenticeship  at  it,  which  begins 

24 


410  A    BRIDGE    OF    CARCASSES. 

with  early  life  and  ends  only  by  death,  is,  to  send  a 
youth  who  leads  a  goat  in  advance  of  the  flock.  From 
some  strange  and  unaccountable  reason,  the  sheep 
will  follow  him,  even  to  the  crossing  of  rivers  whose 
currents  are  deep  and  swift.  The  shepherds,  with  their 
dogs  to  assist  them  when  necessary,  allow  the  herd  to 
scatter  over  a  space  varying  in  its  size,  but  always 
allowing  sufficient  area  so  that  the  animals  can  move 
on  at  their  ease,  and  at  the  same  time  be  able  to  feed. 
The  danger  above  all  others  that  is  to  be  apprehended 
and  guarded  against,  while  thus  traveling,  is  crowding; 
for,  in  this  manner,  when  journeying  through  deep 
gorges  in  the  mountains  and  over  the  precipitous 
banks  of  rivers,  hundreds  of  sheep  can  be,  and  not 
unfrequently  are,  smothered.  When  this  crowding 
commences,  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  arrest  it ;  a 
sort  of  panic  prevails  over  the  entire  herd,  and  they 
rush  on,  one  on  top  of  another,  until  a  mass  of  dead 
and  dying  is  thus  piled  up  and  a  barrier  is  made  ;  or 
else  until,  as  most  frequently  happens,  a  bridge  of  car- 
casses is  formed  over  which  the  survivors  pass  in  safety. 
The  Indians  who  inhabit  the  country  on  the  various 
routes  to  California,  have  a  strong  predilection  for 
mutton,  which  is  a  fact  to  bear  in  mind  when  mi- 
grating with  this  sort  of  property.  Such  accidents  as 
having  a  few  sheep  bitten  by  rattlesnakes,  and  also  a 
certain  percentage  becoming  foot-sore  and  breaking 
down  from  fatigue,  are  common  to  every  herd  that 
crosses  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Economy  in  living  is 
the  great  fundamental  principle  among  the  lower  classes 
of  the  Mexicans ;  therefore,  when  a  sheep  is  going  to 
die  from  fatigue,  or  any  simple  disease,  natural  death 
is  anticipated  by  the  herders  with  the  aid  of  the  hunt- 


KIT    VISITS    SAN"    FRANCISCO.  411 

ing-knife,  and  the  meat,  being  dressed  and  cooked,  is 
unhesitatingly  eaten  by  them.  Next  to  the  Mexican 
shepherd,  his  dog,  although  he  is  not  generally  a 
handsome  animal,  is  found  to  be  ever  faithful  in 
guarding  the  flocks.  The  greatest  enemy  to  the  herds 
is  the  wolf;  and  in  keeping  them  at  bay,  and  prevent- 
ing their  inroads  by  night,  the  dog  is  capable  of  per- 
forming valuable  service ;  hence,  no  band  of  sheep 
should  cross  the  plains  and  mountains  without  a  full 
complement  of  them.  It  was  at  one  of  the  frontier 
towns  of  California  that  Kit  Carson  disposed  of  his 
flock.  There,  having  heard  of  the  rapid  and  marvel- 
ous growth  of  San  Francisco,  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
verify  these  reports  with  his  own  eyes,  for  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  its  ancient  aspect. 

San  Francisco  had  now  had,  since  the  year  1848,  to 
grow  under  the  impulse  of  the  gold  fever.  Kit  Carson 
remembered  it,  a  Spanish  settlement,  as  it  existed  in 
1845-6-7,  then  containing  not  over  two  hundred  in- 
habitants. In  1847,  the  first  gold  discovery  was  made 
at  Sutter's  Fort.  In  two  months  thereafter,  about 
$250,000  in  gold  dust  were  carried  into  the  town.  The 
next  two  months,  $600,000  more.  In  February,  1849, 
the  population  of  the  town  was  two  thousand.  In  six 
months  following,  it  increased  to  five  thousand.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  year  1850,  the  population  had  in- 
creased to  nearly  twenty  thousand.  In  1852,  accord- 
ing to  the  census,  it  was  thirty-four  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  seventy,  and  in  1870,  the  population  was 
one  hundred  and  forty-nine  thousand  four  hundred  and 
seventy-three.  Truly  a  marvelous  growth.  The  first 
settlement  made  at  San  Francisco  was  commenced 
in  the  year  1776.     The  place  was  then  called  Yerba 


412  WEARIED    BY    BEING    LIONIZED. 

Buena,  or  Good  Herb,  from  the  fact  that  an  herb  of 
that  name,  which  was  supposed  to  have  great  medicinal 
value,  grew  in  rich  luxuriance  over  the  surrounding 
country.  The  houses  were  at  first  built  of  adobes,  or 
sun-dried  bricks.  It  is  now  one  of  the  most  important 
cities  on  the  western  continent. 

As  Kit  Carson  neared  this  great  emporium  of  Cali- 
fornia, possessed  of  some  of  the  details  of  its  astonish- 
ing growth,  and  remembering  it  as  it  existed  when  its 
inhabitants  could  be  easily  counted  in  an  hour,  he  was 
perfectly  astonished  to  behold  the  great  changes  which 
a  few  short  years  had  produced. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  immovable  landmarks  about 
the  city  and  the  familiar  scenery  of  the  bay,  he  would 
have  been  entirely  at  a  loss  in  considering  that  this 
was  the  spot,  called  San  Francisco,  which  he  had  visited 
in  former  years.  This  metropolis,  however,  like  all  oth- 
ers, presented  few  attractions  to  Kit  Carson's  vision, 
further  than  its  objects  of  curiosity,  which  were  a  source 
of  interest  and  amusement  to  him.  When  he  had  fin- 
ished sight-seeing  he  was  ready  and  anxious  to  be  on 
his  way  to  New  Mexico.  Previous  to  his  setting  out, 
he  went  on  business  to  Sacramento  Citv.  While  there, 
he  received  a  message  from  his  friend  and  partner, 
Maxwell,  asking  him  to  wait  until  the  latter  could  come 
in  with  a  herd  of  sheep  from  Carson  River,  when  they 
could  join  forces  and  return  home  together. 

Kit  Carson's  stay  in  California  was  shortened  by  the 
annoyance  (as  he  considered  it)  of  being  made  a  lion. 
His  society  was  constantly  courted  by  men  whom  he 
had  never  seen ;  he  was  passed  free  on  steamboats  and 
to  all  places  of  public  amusement ;  and,  in  fact,  the 
people,  in  acknowledging  his  worth,  treated  him  with 


HIGHLY    HONORED    AND    FAYOEED.  413 

marked  distinction.  He  was  pointed  out,  wherever  he 
went,  as  a  man  who  had  done  the  State  great  service. 
This  reward  of  his  merit  was  indeed  a  just  tribute  to 
his  worth.  Kit  felt  himself  highly  honored  and  favored, 
but  he  did  not  expect  or  wish  such  attention.  He  felt 
himself  to  be  a  humble  individual,  who  had  honestly 
and  faithfully  performed  his  duty,  as  it  had  been  as- 
signed to  him,  and  his  modesty  would  not  allow  him  to 
ask  or  be  willing  to  receive  any  other  than  the  unex- 
pressed opinion  of  the  people.  There  were  some  men 
(there  always  are  such  persons  in  every  community) 
who  sought  his  company  expecting  to  hear  him  boast 
of  his  deeds  and  proclaim  himself  a  hero  such  as  had 
never  before  existed ;  but,  what  must  have  been  their 
surprise  on  seeing  his  unassuming  bearing,  his  disre- 
gard of  notoriety,  and  his  anxiety  to  escape  that  popu- 
larity which  they  themselves  would  have  highly  prized. 
Tired  by  the  anxiety  and  hard  work  of  bringing  his 
property  over  a  long  and  dangerous  journey  to  a  good 
market,  he  had  looked  for  rest  and  retirement;  but 
instead,  he  was  everywhere  sought  out  and  made 
conspicuous. 

And  here  we  pause  to  speak  of  the  noble  qualities 
of  moral  character  and  good  judgment  evinced  by  Kit 
Carson  on  this  occasion  of  his  eventful  life.  He  found 
himself  surrounded  with  the  choice  spirits  of  the  new 
El  Dorado ;  his  name  a  prestige  of  strength  and  posi- 
tion, and  his  society  courted  by  everybody.  The  siren 
voice  of  pleasure  failed  not  to  speak  in  his  ear  her  most 
nattering  invitations.  Good-fellowship  took  him  inces- 
santly by  the  hand,  desiring  to  lead  him  into  the  paths 
of  dissipation.  But  the  gay  vortex,  with  all  its  bril- 
liancy, had  no  attractions  for  him ;  the  wine-cup,  with 


414      A  PROFITABLE  BUSINESS  OPERATION. 

its  sparkling  arguments,  failed  to  convince  his  calm 
earnestness  of  character,  tltat  his  simple  habits  of  life 
needed  remodeling.  To  the  storm,  however,  he  was 
exposed ;  but,  like  a  good  ship  during  the  gale,  he 
weathered  the  fierce  blast,  and  finally  took  his  depart- 
ure from  the  new  city  of  a  day,  with  his  character  un- 
tarnished, but  nevertheless  leaving  behind  him  many 
golden  opinions.  With  a  hurried  farewell  and  many 
kind  remembrances  of  the  good  people  of  California, 
he  left  their  great  city  to  return  to  a  home  where  he 
was  certain  to  find*  a  life  better  suited  to  his  tastes. 
Money-getting  had  no  charms  for  him.  Had  he  chosen 
o  accept  some  of  the  offers  made  him  while  then  in 
ian  Francisco,  he  could  easily  have  amassed  an  immense 
fortune.  But  his  home  had  now  the  greater  allure- 
ments, and  a  legitimate  business  gave  him  the  certainty 
of  comfort.  The  power  merely  which  wealth  assumes, 
Kit  Carson  never  had  desired  to  grasp. 

The  time  had  nearly  arrived  for  the  appearance  of 
Maxwell.  He  finally  joined  Kit  Carson,  when  the  two 
immediately  engaged  in  the  very  profitable  work  of  dis- 
posing of  their  sheep.  The  market  proved  to  be  quite 
active — so  much  so  that  they  disposed  of  their  entire 
flock  at  high  cash  values  without  the  least  difficulty. 
The  speculation  thus  proved  to  be  highly  satisfactory  to 
all  concerned.  In  a  monetary  point  of  view,  the  adven- 
ture proved  to  be  the  most  fortunate  in  which  Kit  Car- 
son had  been  engaged.  Heretofore,  money  had  been 
a  second  consideration  with  Kit  Carson.  He  had  di- 
rected his  energies  and  attention  to  almost  everything, 
or  at  least  to  many  things  besides  its  accumulation. 

The  sums  which  he  had  received  for  the  important 
services  rendered  both  to  government  officers  and  pri- 


KIT    DOES    NOT    LIKE    THE    SEA.  415 

vate  individuals,  had  been  expended  on  the  wants  of 
his  family  and  on  his  suffering  friends  and  countrymen. 
A  trifling  amount  had  always  sufficed  to  satisfy  his  own 
immediate  desires.  The  calls  upon  his  purse,  at  the 
end  of  each  year,  had  left,  therefore,  but  little  which 
he  could  call  his  own.  The  snug  sum  now  at  his  dis- 
posal, Kit  Carson  determined  to  lay  by ;  and  serving 
as  a  nucleus,  around  it,  he  has  since  accumulated 
enough  amply  to  supply  those  comforts  which  will  tend, 
in  his  old  age,  to  make  him  happy.  Maxwell  and  Car- 
son decided  to  return  to  their  homes  by  the  southern 
route,  which  runs  through  the  country  on  and  adjacent 
to  the  Eio  Gila.  Maxwell  determined  to  take  a 
steamer  down  the  coast  as  far  as  Los  Angelos,  distant 
from  San  Francisco  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
and  used  his  best  endeavors  to  persuade  his  friend  Kit 
Carson  to  accompany  him.  In  this,  however,  he  failed. 
Already  one  cruise  over  a  part  of  the  ocean  route 
wrhich  Maxwell  contemplated  making,  had  been  made 
by  Kit  Carson  in  1846,  and  which  had  so  sickened  him 
of  sea  life,  that  he  resolved  never  to  travel  on  salt 
water  again  while  it  was  in  his  power  to  obtain  a  mule 
to  assist  him  in  journeying  by  land.  Maxwell,  by  his 
water  conveyance,  reached  Los  Angelos  fifteen  days  in 
advance  of  Kit  Carson,  and  employed  himself  in  mak- 
ing the  necessaiy  preparations  for  their  trip  to  New 
Mexico.  When  Kit  rejoined  his  companion,  everything 
was  in  readiness  for  them  to  proceed  on  their  route, 
and,  in  a  day  or  so  afterwards,  they  started.  Every- 
thing favored  them  until  they  reached  a  village  belong- 
ing to  some  Pimo  Indians,  and  located  on  the  Rio  Gila. 
Here  the  grass  became  suddenly  very  scarce.  They 
learned  from  these  Indians  that  the  season   had   been 


416  A    PRAIRIE    ON    FIRE. 

unusually  dry,  and  that,  if  they  attempted  to  proceed 
on  the  regular  trail,  they  would  do  so  at  the  risk  of 
losing  their  animals  by  starvation.  While  undecided 
as  to  which  was  the  best  course  to  pursue,  Kit  Carson 
informed  the  party  that  he  could  guide  them  over  a 
new  route  which,  though  difficult  and  rough  to  travel, 
he  felt  confident  would  afford  sufficient  forage  to  an- 
swer all  their  purposes.  At  once  the  men  agreed  to 
be  governed  by  their  experienced  friend's  advice,  and, 
having  signified  to  him  their  willingness  to  do  so,  they 
resumed  their  inarch,  following  up  the  Rio  Gila,  until 
they  came  to  the  mouth  of  the  San  Pedro,  when  they 
struck  out  up  the  latter  for  three  days,  and  then  parted 
with  it  to  risk  the  chances  of  reaching,  at  the  end  of 
each  day,  the  small  mountain  creeks  that  lay  on  their 
contemplated  route.  After  traveling  in  as  direct  a 
course  as  the  nature  of  the  country  would  admit,  they 
arrived  seasonably  at  the  copper  mines  of  New  Mexico. 

One  day  the  party  found  themselves  entirely  desti- 
tute of  fresh  meat,  and  Carson,  with  three  men,  includ- 
ing a  friendly  Pimo  Indian,  started  out  for  a  hunt,  ex- 
pecting to  be  gone  but  for  a  few  hours,  the  balance 
of  the  party  in  the  meantime  going  into  camp,  to  await 
their  return. 

For  some  days  the  air  had  been  filled  with  a  disagree- 
able and  suffocating  smoke,  indicating  a  distant  fire, 
which  seemed  to  be  rapidly  working  its  way  towards 
them.  At  times  the  sun  was  completely  obscured  by 
lowr,  black  clouds. 

Night  came,  and  Carson  and  party  did  not  return, 
and  the  dark  clouds  which  overhung  them  like  an  im- 
mense  mantle,  now  assumed  a  horrible  lurid  glare  all 
along  the  horizon,  which  in  no  degree  tended  to  lessen 


WAITING    IN    HORRIBLE    SUSPENSE.  417 

their  anxiety.  No  one  in  the  party  felt  competent  to 
guide  the  band  to  a  place  of  safety,  and  one  and  all 
thought  their  last  day  had  come.  All  through  the 
night  they  watched  and  waited  As  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  was  a  glowing  belt  of  fire,  eagerly  devour- 
ing everything  that  came  in  its  way.  What  could  be 
the  fate  of  the  hunting  party  ?  The  first  thought  was, 
that  they  had  been  attacked  and  killed  by  their  old 
enemies,  the  Indians ;  but'  this  seemed  hardly  possible, 
for  they  were  not  then  in  a  hostile  country.  They 
could  but  wait  in  horrible  suspense.  The  morning 
came,  and  they  found  that  the  fire  had  almost  encom- 
passed them,  and  hastily  packing  their  mules,  prepared 
to  make  their  escape.  As  they  were  about  to  start, 
one  of  the  party  gave  a  loud  cheer,  and  pointed  in  the 
direction  of  the  fire,  from  whence,  coming  at  full  speed, 
the  long-looked-for  Carson  and  comrades  appeared.  No 
time  was  lost  in  getting;  out  of  the  uncomfortable 
position  in  which  the  fire  had  placed  them.  Carson,  it 
seems,  had  started  off  in  search  of  game,  which,  being 
unusually  scarce,  led  him  a  long  distance  from  camp. 
He  had  noticed  the  fire ;  but,  from  the  direction  which 
it  was  then  taking,  it  could  not  reach  his  friends,  and, 
consequently,  it  caused  him  no  uneasiness.  A  sudden 
change  of  the  wind,  however,  started  the  fire  directly 
for  the  camp,  and  cut  off  his  retreat.  He  at  once  put 
spur  to  his  horse,  and  made  a  long  detour,  hoping  to 
meet  his  companions  of  the  hunt  and  enter  the  camp 
on  the  opposite  side.  He  rode  nearly  all  night,  and  at 
last  succeeded  in  finding  his  friends,  when  it  was  de- 
cided to  make  a  break  directly  through  the  fire,  which 
was  successfully  done,  much  to  the  joy  of  the  encamped 
party. 


418  A    ROUGH    AND    RUGGED    ROAD. 

While  pursuing  this  experimental  journey,  Kit  Car- 
son, who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  general  outline 
of  the  country,  but  was  not  equally  conversant  with  it 
in  reference  to  the  certainty  of  finding  eligible  camp- 
ing-sites, where  wood,  water  and  grass,  presented  them- 
selves in  abundance,  was  frequently  made  the  subject 
of  a  tantalizing  joke  by  the  men  of  the  party. 

Occasionally  his  memory  would  not  solve  the  ques- 
tion, what  is  the  next  course?  He  had  neither  map, 
chart,  nor  compass,  and  depended  entirely  upon  old 
landmarks.  Occasionally  the  resemblance  of  different 
mountains,  one  to  another,  would  serve  to  embarrass 
him.  For  a  time,  he  would  become  doubtful  as  to  the 
exact  course  to  pursue.  At  such  moments,  the  mis- 
chievous dispositions  of  the  men  would  get  the  better 
of  their  judgment,  and  they  would  exert  their  lungs 
in  shouting  to  him,  as  he  spurred  his  riding  animal  to 
keep  out  of  the  sound  of  their  raillery.  He  was  not 
always  successful  in  this,  and  occasionally  a  few  sen- 
tences reached  him  like  the  following : 

"  Hurrah  !  " 

"  I  say !  are  you  the  famous  Kit  Carson,  who  knows 
this  country  so  well  ?  " 

"Are  you  really  a  good  pilot,  or  are  you  lost  ?  " 

These  and  similar  expressions  saluted  Kit's  ear — a 
language  to  which  he  had  not  been  heretofore  accus- 
tomed— as  some  impediment,  such  as  a  fallen  tree,  a 
rock,  a  swamp,  or  a  creek  staid,  for  a  brief  period, 
his  progress,  thus  allowing  the  party  to  approach 
within  speaking  distance.  The  remarks  might  have 
temporarily  chafed  his  spirit ;  but  he  had  too  much 
good  sense  to  allow  his  friends  to  see  that  they  had 
gained  any  advantage  over  him.     He  rode  boldly  on, 


CARSON   APPOINTED    INDIAN   AGENT.  421 

and  answered  their  raillery  with  silence.  He  knew, 
however,  very  well,  that  his  turn  would  come ;  and- 
Avhen  he  had  brought  them  in  safety  to  a  spot  with 
which  all  were  familiar,  he  turned  the  tables  on  them 
by  retorting  to  their  questions  in  a  playful  manner, 
which  made  their  future  interpretation  of  his  occa- 
sional doubt  less  sweeping  in  its  conclusions. 

Kit  succeeded  in  guiding  the  party  safely  to  the  Cop- 
per Mines,  from  whence  their  route  was  plain.  From 
the  Copper  Mines  the  party  traveled  through  to  the 
Rio  del  Norte.  This  river  is  1,800  miles  in  length,  and 
forms  the  boundary  line  between  Texas  and  Mexico. 
It  takes  its  rise  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  empties 
into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  is  navigable  for  small 
steamers,  sloops  and  schooners,  for  a  distance  of  about 
four  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth.  About 
nine  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth,  there  is  a  spot 
where  the  river  is  only  about  three  or  four  feet  deep. 
Here  the  Apache  and  Camanche  Indians  always  cross 
when  on  their  depredatory  tramps  into  Mexico. 

Leaving  the  Rio  Grande  or  del  Norte,  the  party  pur- 
sued their  homeward  route  through  the  settlements  of 
the  Rio  Abago  and  Santa  Fe,  and  finally  reached  Taos 
on  the  twenty-third  day  of  December,  1853. 

Soon  after  the  party  entered  the  territory  of  New 
Mexico,  Kit  Carson  accidentally  met  the  Mormon  del- 
egate to  Congress.  That  person  informed  Kit  Carson 
that  the  appointment  of  an  Indian  Agent  had  been 
conferred  upon  him. 

On  learning  this  piece  of  intelligence,  Kit  was  much 
elated.  He  felt  that  the  office  was  perfectly  suited  to 
his  tastes,  and  he  was  honestly  impressed  with  the  be- 
lief that  he  was  capable  of  performing   the   duties  of 


422  THE    JICCARILLA    APACHES. 

this  office,  and  of  accomplishing  much  good.  His  hap- 
piness and  pride  were  heightened  by  thinking  that, 
finally,  his  services  had  met  the  approbation  of  his 
government,  the  substantial  proof  of  which  was  the 
offering  to  him  of  an  important  trust  without  solicita- 
tion on  his  part.  Immediately  on  arriving  at  Taos,  he 
wrote  an  answer  to  the  authorities  at  Washington,  in 
which  he  expressed  his  willingness  to  serve  the  gov- 
ernment, and  the  pleasure  he  felt  in  accepting  the 
office  ;  at  the  same  time  he  sent  the  necessary  bond 
required  of  persons  who  hold  this  appointment. 

Hardly  had  Kit  Carson  been  ushered  into  his  new 
duties  before  the  Jiccarilla  Apaches,  who  formed  one 
of  the  tribes  of  his  agency,  began  to  show  new  signs 
of  dissatisfaction  by  committing  various  kinds  of  out- 
rages on  the  property  and  lives  of  the  citizens  of  the 
northern  part  of  New  Mexico.  To  arrest  them  in  their 
career  and  make  them  amenable  for  the  crimes  they 
had  already  committed,  Lieutenant  Bell,  of  the  Second 
Regiment  of  United  States  Dragoons,  was  sent  in  quest 
of  them.  He  found  them  on  the  Red  River,  and  at 
once  commenced  operations  against  them.  At  first, 
these  red  men  were  equally  ready  to  break  a  lance  in 
combat  with  their  foes  ;  but,  after  the  soldiers  had  made 
two  charges  and  penetrated  through  and  through  their 
ranks,  they  were,  although  in  superior  numbers,  glad 
to  give  up  the  mastership  of  the  field,  and  run  away. 
In  this  fight,  the  Apaches  lost,  by  his  being  killed,  one 
of  their  great  chiefs,  besides  many  warriors.  On  the 
side  of  the  soldiers,  two  men  were  killed  and  several 
seriously  wounded. 

A  short  time  after  the  news  of  the  skirmish  had 
reached  Taos,  Kit  Carson  found  it  necessary ;  in  order 


BEARDING    THE    LION    IN    HIS    DEN.  423 

to  attend  to  some  official  business,  to  proceed  to  Santa 
Fe  ;  but,  just  as  he  was  on  the  point  of  setting  out,  he 
was  informed  that  a  large  party  of  these  Jiccarilla 
Apaches  had  recently  arrived  at  a  place  in  the  moun- 
tains only  about  twenty  miles  from  Taos,  and  were 
there  encamped.  With  the  view  of  pacifying  them  if 
possible,  Kit  Carson  immediately  posted  thither ;  and, 
with  no  small  degree  of  peril  attending  his  movements 
— for  he  went  unattended,  and  among  Indians  who 
were  at  the  time  very  bitter  against  the  whites — he 
confronted  their  "head  men  "  in  their  den.  He  needed 
no  introduction,  for,  during  many  years,  he  had  been 
well  known  to  them.  Therefore  he  proceeded,  at  once, 
to  business.  After  passing  through  the  usual  Indian 
salutations,  he  commenced  by  haranguing  them  in  a 
style  that  most  pleases  their  fancy,  thereby  fixing  their 
attention  on  what  he  was  saying.  Among  other  things, 
he  forewarned  them  that  the  course  they  were  pursuing, 
if  persisted  in,  would  prove  the  cause  of  their  being 
exterminated,  as  their  "Great  Father,"  the  President, 
had  at  his  disposal  thousands  of  soldiers  to  replace 
those  who  fell  in  battle,  while,  when  their  warriors 
were  killed,  they  could  not  immediately  place  others  in 
their  moccasins.  When  a  warrior  was  killed,  they  were 
compelled  to  wait  until  their  children  grew  up.  He 
added,  that  the  "Great  Father"  loved  his  red  children, 
and  through  him,  whose  servant  he  was,  he  wished  to 
give  them  annuities  and  otherwise  aid  them  in  living 
at  peace.  These  Indians,  on  learning  that  Kit  Carson 
was  their  agent,  expressed  great  pleasure,  and,  at  his 
earnest  solicitation,  came  forward  and  professed  friend- 
ship. So  little  reliance,  however,  was  to  be  placed  in 
this  tribe,  that  Kit  Carson  doubted   their   sincerity; 


424  LIEUTENANT    DAVIDSON    IN    THE    FIELD. 

although  he  exacted  every  pledge  which  he  thought 
would  in  the  least  tend  to  bind  them  to  their  promises, 
he  feared  they  would  not  prove  true.  Having  finished 
his  business,  Kit  bent  his  way  to  Santa  Fe  ;  but,  he  had 
not  more  than  reached  there  before  he  heard  that  the 
Jiccarillas  had  already  become  tired  of  the  restraints 
which  he  had  placed  upon  them,  and  had  broken  out  in 
open  defiance  of  the  authorities.  From  this  time  on- 
ward, so  thick  and  fast  did  their  wicked  crimes  in- 
crease, that  coercive  measures  became  necessary  to  put 
them  down.  This  finally  resulted  in  as  sanguinary  a 
battle  being  fought  between  a  small  band  of  soldiers 
and  this  tribe,  as  was  ever  recorded. 

A  rapid  sketch  of  it  must  suffice  to  illustrate  to  the 
reader  what  kind  of  a  fight  this  was,  and  what  plucky 
fellows  these  Apaches  are.  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Davidson,* 
with  a  command  of  sixty  men  belonging  to  F  and  I  com- 
panies of  the  First  Regiment  of  United  States  Dragoons, 
was  ordered  out  to  seek  and  act  against  these  red  men. 
Both  the  soldiers  and  their  officers  were  renowned  for 
their  bravery  and  experience  in  Indian  mode  of  war- 
fare ;  hence,  more  than  ordinary  deeds  were  expected 
to  be  performed  by  them.  The  result  will  show  that 
they  did  not  disappoint  any  reasonable  expectation. 
Lieutenant  Davidson  marched  to  the  "  Embuda  Moun- 
tains''' (which  range  lies  between  fifteen  and  twenty 
miles  southwest  of  Taos),  as  he  had  been  informed  by 
good  authority  that  the  Indians  were  to  be  found 
there. 

On  reaching  the  mountains  he  soon  came  upon  the 
savages,  and  found  them  fully  prejDared  to  meet  him. 

*  Lieutenant  Davidson  (then)  is  now  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  10th  TJ.  S.  Cavalry.    He 
served  with  marked  distinction  during  our  late  civil  war. 


MANCEUVPJNG   AMONG    THE    ROCKS.  425 

They  had  selected  their  ground  with  great  skill.  The 
site  which  they  had  chosen  was  upon  a  high  elevation, 
and  at  the  first  glance,  to  get  at  them  appeared  to  be 
an  impossibility,  on  account  of  the  roughness  of  the 
country.  If  the  Indians  had  hunted  over  the  whole  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  they  could  not  have  hit  upon  a 
place  that  offered  them  so  many  advantages  for  the  use 
to  which  they  intended  to  put  it ;  but,  as  the  red  men 
had,  by  great  labor,  reached  the  tops  of  the  crags, 
therefore,  the  soldiers  resolved  not  to  be  outdone, 
even  if  they  had  to  be  the  assaulting  party. 

The  strength  of  the  Apaches  amounted  to  eight 
lodges,  or  two  hundred  and  forty  warriors ;  and,  as 
they  were  on  foot  and  without  their  families,  they 
were  entirely  unencumbered.  Lieutenant  Davidson's 
first  manoeuvre  was  to  send  in  advance  a  small  party, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  act  as  spies,  while  at  the  same 
time  they  endeavored  to  engage  the  Indians  in  a  talk, 
of  which  they  are  usually  so  fond  ;  but  the  courage  of 
the  red  men  was  apparently  much  elevated  on  seeing 
the  smallness  of  the  whole  force  sent  against  them ; 
therefore  they  received  the  advance  with  such  cold- 
ness that  the  latter  soon  after  gladly  retreated  to  their 
companions,  who  were  halted  on  the  little  creek  that 
runs  by  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  Lieutenant  David- 
son now  saw  that  his  only  course  was  to  commence  the 
attack  and  trust  to  fortune  and  the  bravery  of  his  men. 
Therefore  he  ordered  the  gallant  fellows  to  dismount, 
and  after  leaving  their  horses  with  a  small  guard,  they 
commenced  the  work  of  scrambling  up  the  rocks,  so 
that  they  might  get  at  and  dislodge  the  enemy.  In 
this  they  succeeded,  notwithstanding  they  met  with  a 
powerful  and  determined  resistance.     In  the  attempt. 


426  WAR-WHOOPS    AND    UNEARTHLY    SHOUTS. 

five  soldiers  were  killed  ;  and  when  the  dragoons  had 
reached  the  highest  eminence  of  the  mountains,  they 
found,  to  their  disappointment,  that  the  Apaches  had 
not  taken  to  flight,  according  to  their  anticipations,  but 
instead,  they  were  scattering  and  surrounding  them. 
There  being  great  danger,  as  already  demonstrations 
were  visible  in  that  quarter,  that  the  Indians  would 
capture  the  horses  of  the  soldiers,  therefore  Lieutenant 
Davidson  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  men  and 
led  them  back  to  the  spot  where  the  animals  were  con- 
gregated. In  so  doing  he  was  obliged  to  fight  his  way, 
as  every  foot  of  ground  he  passed  over  was  stoutly  con- 
tested ;  but  at  last  he  arrived,  just  in  time  to  save 
them.  The  fight  then  became  desultory,  but  despe- 
rate, on  the  part  of  the  soldiers ;  for  the  Indians,  by 
concealing  themselves  behind  rocks,  trees  and  what- 
ever came  in  their  way,  were  quite  secure  against  in- 
jury from  the  carbines  and  revolvers  of  the  whites, 
while  from  their  side  came  a  deadly  fire  that  fast  di- 
minished the  numbers  of  their  adversaries.  In  vain 
did  the  dragoons  charge  them  and  cause  the  foremost 
of  the  enemy  to  retreat  to  their  friends  in  the  rear. 
Lieutenant  Davidson  soon  found  his  party  so  much 
crippled  in  strength,  that  he  saw  he  could  no  longer 
protect  his  horses  and  at  the  same  time  carry  on  the 
combat  against  such  great  odds.  When  there  was  lit- 
tle left  that  he  could  do  except  to  offer  himself  and 
men  as  targets  to  be  shot  at,  Lieutenant  Davidson  re- 
luctantly ordered  his  men  to  retreat. 

In  obeying  this  command,  the  soldiers  had  not  more 
than  wheeled  about,  when  clown  came  the  foe  in  full 
pursuit,  making  the  very  air  ring  with  their  war-whoops 
and  unearthly  shouts.    So  bold  did  these  Indians  become 


A    VICTORY    FOR     THE    APACHES.  427 

from  the  victory  which  they  had  achieved,  that  they 
charged  so  hotly  and  so  near  the  soldiers  that  the  latter 
were  compelled,  in  self-defence,  to  turn  and.  in  a  hand- 
to-hand  contest,  beat  them  off.  After  resisting  a  suc- 
cession of  these  assaults,  the  command  finally  gained 
the  main  road.  Upon  counting  his  men,  Lieutenant 
Davidson  found  that  twenty  of  them  were  killed  and 
left  behind  on  the  battle-field ;  and  that,  out  of  the 
surviving  forty,  hardly  one  man  had  escaped  being 
wounded,  thereby  showing,  considering  the  numbers 
engaged,  how  bravely  the  fight  had  been  maintained, 
and  how  gallantly  each  one  had  endeavored  to  turn  the 
tide  of  affairs  to  a  more  favorable  result. 

The  course  pursued  by,  and  even  the  bravery  of, 
Lieutenant  Davidson  in  this  affair,  has  been  unjustly 
assailed  and  questioned  by  some  persons  who  have 
probably  been  misinformed  on  the  subject.  Judging 
from  the  evidence  of  his  companions,  there  was  not  a 
more  courageous  man  on  that  ground  than  the  officer 
in  command.  Kit  Carson  refutes  the  accusation  made 
against  his  friend  in  the  following  strain  :  "I  am  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  Lieutenant  Davidson,  and  have 
been  in  engagements  with  him  where  he  has  taken  a 
prominent  part,  and  can  testify  that  he  is  as  brave  and 
discreet  as  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  be.  Nearly  every 
person  engaged  in,  and  who  survived  that  day's  bloody 
battle,  has  since  told  me  that  his  commanding  officer 
never  once  sought  shelter,  but  stood  manfully  exposed 
to  the  aim  of  the  Indians,  encouraging  his  men  and 
apparently  entirely  unmindful  of  his  own  life.  It  was, 
however,  in  the  retreat  they  say  that  he  acted  the  most 
gallantly,  for,  when  everything  was  going  badly  with 
the  soldiers,  he  was  as  cool  and  collected  as  if  under 


428       THE  DEAD  TERRIBLY  MUTILATED. 

the  guns  of  his  fort.     The  only  anxiety  he  exhibited  was 
for  the  safety  of  his  remaining  men. " 

The  Indians  must  have  lost  man}'  of  their  warriors 
in  this  fight,  but  the  exact  number  has  never  been  as- 
certained. The  news  of  the  defeat  was  brought  by  the 
retreating  soldiers  themselves  to  the  town  of  Taos, 
where,  on  hearing  it,  for  a  short  time,  consternation 
seized  hold  of  its  inhabitants ;  but  slowly  they  calmed 
down,  and  a  party  consisting  of  Americans  and  Mexi- 
cans with  wagons,  was  sent  out  to  bring  in  the  mutila- 
ted remains  of  the  fallen.  On  reaching  the  field,  the 
dead  were  found,  but  they  were  all  mutilated  and 
stripped  of  all  their  clothing.  The  Indians  had  left 
nothing  which  they  thought  might  be  turned  to  the 
least  account.  One  poor  fellow  had  escaped  the  rigid 
scrutiny  of  the  red  men  by  crawling  to  an  obscure 
place  where  he  had  died  from  his  wounds.  On  his  body 
was  found  a  belt  that  contained  three  hundred  dollars 
in  gold — his  hard  earnings  that  he  had  been  saving  up 
against  a  day  of  need.  Had  the  savages  known  of  this 
money,  they  would  not  have  left  it,  for  they  are  quite 
familiar  with  the  use,  if  not  with  the  real  value  of 
gold.  A  few  days  later,  the  Apaches  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  a  small  Mexican  settlement  which  was  far 
distant  from  the  scene  of  their  success.  They  were 
dressed  in  portions  of  the  uniforms  and  accoutrements 
taken  from  the  dead  dragoons;  and,  as  they  sauntered 
about  the  town,  they  would  salute  each  other  in  mili- 
tary style,  and  otherwise  mock  the  actions  of  the  mili- 
tary men.  Calling  for  a  piece  of  paper,  one  fellow, 
with  a  bit  of  charcoal,  pretended  to  write  on  it  an  order. 
No  doubt,  by  so  doing,  he  thought  he  was  imitating 
something;  of  the  kind  which  he  had  seen  done  at  a 


INDIANS    IMITATING    CIVILIZATION.  429 

military  post.  After  making  a  few  scratches  on  the 
paper,  he  handed  it  to  one  of  his  red  companions,  and, 
with  a  smile  on  his  rough  countenance,  addressed  to  him 
some  directions  in  reference  to  the  document.  Although 
the  Mexicans  were  much  amused  at  these  burlesque 
actions  of  the  Indians,  yet  they  did  not  dare  to  show 
their  mirth  until  the  latter  had  departed  and  left  them 
in  possession  of  their  lives. 

The  day  following  the  one  on  which  the  fight  had 
taken  place,  Kit  Carson  returned  from  Santa  Fe  and 
passed  near  to  the  spot  where  the  soldiers  had  been  so 
roughly  handled ;  but  he  did  not  see  a  visage  of  an 
Apache.  They  had,  by  that  time,  traveled  to  the  west 
side  of  the  Rio  del  Norte.  Indeed,  he  anticipated  no 
danger  to  himself,  as  he  was  well  aware  that  the  safest 
time  to  travel  through  any  section  of  an  Indian 
country,  is  just  after  the  savages  have  been  guilty  of 
some  high-handed  act.  They  are  then,  instinctively, 
as  some  may  say,  but,  as  the  fact  appears  to  us,  by 
use  of  their  reasoning  powers,  well  aware  that  active 
measures  will  be  set  on  foot  to  repay  them  for  their 
rascality. 

The  trail  which,  on  this  occasion,  Kit  Carson  trav- 
eled over  in  coming  from  Santa  Fe,  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  routes,  in  safe  times,  that  the  mere  traveler 
can  select.  It  comprises  some  of  the  most  beautiful 
scenery  in  New  Mexico.  The  length  of  the  trail  is 
about  seventy-five  miles,  and  so  many  windings  and 
turns  does  it  make  through  mountains,  forests  and 
gorges,  that  every  hundred  yards  furnishes  a  suitable 
place  for  an  Indian  ambuscade.  The  largest  part  of 
the  country  which  lies  between  Taos  and  Santa  Fe,  is 
mountainous ;    therefore,   this    trail  is    one    series   of 


430  MAGNIFICENT    MOUNTAIN    SCENERY. 

ascents  and  descents.  The  greatest  pitch  is  near  the 
scene  of  the  fight  in  which  Lieutenant  Davidson  and 
his  command  were  engaged,  where  the  path,  in  order 
to  avoid  an  almost  perpendicular  declivity,  makes  a 
zigzag  course.  To  accomplish  the  ascent  of  this 
mountain  on  a  good  riding  animal,  it  takes  at  least  two 
hours;  therefore  the  height  of  the  mountain  can  be 
easily  imagined  by  those  accustomed  to  mountain  climb- 
ing. On  reaching  some  of  these  immense  eminences, 
the  scenery  is  principally  formed  by  the  broken 
country,  studded  here  and  there  with  mountains,  which 
appear  as  if  in  miniature,  as  well  as  real.  Between  are 
valleys,  rivers,  creeks,  canons,  etc.,  which  render  the 
views  truly  grand.  There  is  sufficient  woodland,  plenty 
of  pure  air,  and  different  species  of  game  in  great 
abundance  playing  about,  and  filling  up  the  picture 
with  life.  To  use  the  w^ords  of  romance,  this  does  not 
fail  to  make  the  scenery  perfect.  The  trail  runs  through 
hamlets  and  villages,  which  come  in  at  the  proper  dis- 
tances and  form  great  auxiliaries  to  the  traveler,  when 
fatigued  by  horseback  riding ;  for,  at  most  of  these 
places,  the  traveler  can  find  rest  for  the  night,  always 
provided  that  he  be  willing  to  submit  to  a  multitude 
of  inconveniences. 

The  most  desirable  place  at  which  to  stop,  on  this 
trail,  was  a  town  nearly  midway  between  Taos  and 
Santa  Fe.  It  was  called  Rio  Arriba.  In  this  village  the 
traveler  could  obtain  many  comforts  which  were  denied 
him  even  in  the  larger  towns.  At  the  time  of  which 
we  write,  it  was  a  very  difficult  matter  for  loaded  car- 
avans to  pass  direct  from  Santa  Fe  to  Taos ;  but  the 
United  States  government  afterwards  took  the  matter 
in  hand   and   appropriated   large   sums  of  money  for 


MOUNTAIN   SCENERY. 


QUILLS  FULL  OF  GOLD  DUST.  431 

making  a  good  road  between  the  two  places ;  there- 
fore, soon  after,  the  transit  was  accomplished  with  ease 
and  safety.  Scattered  over  the  country  adjacent  to 
this  trail  now  under  consideration,  there  were  many 
hamlets  and  villages  which  were  being  greatly  aug- 
mented by  new  settlers  yearly.  Many  of  these  had 
been  seldom,  if  ever,  visited  by  white  men,  and  the 
minute  geography  of  this  tract  of  country  was  still  in 
the  embryo.  Perhaps  a  new  El  Dorado  is  there  in 
store  for  mankind,  and  that  some  day  its  resources  will 
receive  an  impetus  and  be  developed  by  the  sudden 
discovery  of  valuable  mines  therein.  This  is  no  chi- 
merical illusion;  it  scarcely  rests  upon  an  uncertainty; 
for,  the  mineral  wealth  of  New  Mexico,  we  are  firmly 
persuaded,  is  still  in  its  infancy.  To  use  trapper  lan- 
guage, judging  from  "signs"  which  exist  there  in 
abundance,  we  shall  not  be  surprised  to  hear,  in  time, 
that  this  territory  has  turned  out  to  be  a  second  Cali- 
fornia. Eumors  of  gold,  and  even  specimens  of  the 
article  itself,  are  frequent  in  many  parts  of  the  country ; 
but  the  poverty  of  the  inhabitants  keeps  them  from 
searching  as  they  ought  in  order  to  make  the  discovery. 
The  Americans  find  a  more  profitable  business  in  com- 
merce and  trade,  therefore  they  but  seldom  indulge  in 
speculations  designed  to  develop  the  mineral  wealth 
of  the  country ;  but  nevertheless,  they  have  faith  that 
gold,  in  immense  quantities,  exists  there,  and  believe 
that,  in  time,  scientific  men  will  disclose  the  fact  and 
position.  We  have  seen  quills  full  of  gold  dust  which 
has  been  collected  there,  and  we  are  well  acquainted 
with  men  who  have  washed  out  from  several  streams 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  Territory,  the  value  of  two 
and  a  half  dollars  per  diem ;  but,  with  the  high  prices 


432  mistaken"  location. 

of  living,  this  rate  of  produce  cannot  be  made  to  pay 
unless  the  work  shall  be  carried  on  by  the  assistance 
of  capital. 

On  this  trail  to  Santa  Fe  there  are  several  small 
Pueblos  which  are  inhabited  by  the  descendants  of  the 
ancient  Aztecs.  These  settlements,  generally,  are 
quite  thrifty,  and  exhibit  many  external  appearances 
of  comfort.  To  prepare  and  cultivate  the  soil,  it  takes 
much  labor  in  irrigating  and  bestowing  other  farming 
operations  upon  the  land  in  order  to  bring  crops  to 
perfection.  Hence  these  people,  like  the  New  Mex- 
icans, can  realize  from  their  toil  but  little  beyond  their 
own  subsistence.  This  trail,  as  it  approaches  Santa  Fe, 
enters  through  groves  of  small  pines  which  are  many 
miles  in  extent.  In  such  places  the  ground  is  sandy 
and  the  vegetation  poor  in  the  extreme.  It  has  proved 
an  exceedingly  difficult  problem,  for  more  than  one 
mind,  to  solve  the  reason  why  the  capital  of  the  Terri- 
tory should  have  been  located  in  such  a  barren  section  of 
the  country.  Perhaps  it  was  because  this  was  the  most 
central  spot  that  could  be  selected,  although  such  a 
reason  can  hardly  be  offered  in  sober  earnestness.  The 
most  charitable  reasoning  which  we  can  offer  for  it,  is 
because  the  Mexicans  knew  no  better.  It  is  true  there 
are  valuable  silver  mines  near  by ;  but  this  could  only 
cause  a  town  to  be  raised  to  suit  the  miners  and  not  to 
form  the  attraction  Avhere  the  elite  of  New  Mexican 
society  should  for  so  many  years  congregate. 

Santa  Fe  is  located  on  a  plateau  of  ground  which 
is  about  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
The  town  itself  contains  about  five  or  six  thousand  in- 
habitants, which  includes  all  races.  It  is  built  of 
adobes,  or   sun-burnt    brick,  and   occupies  both  sides 


THE    CAPITAL    OF    NEW    MEXICO.  433 

of  a  small  stream,  which  is  called  the  Rio  Chieito  and 
which  flows  into  the  Rio  Grande  nearly  twenty  miles 
from  the  town.  The  site  of  Santa  Fe  is  low  when 
compared  with  the  altitude  of  the  surrounding  country, 
being  bounded  on  nearly  all  sides  by  lofty  mountains. 
One  of  these  mountains  is  quite  famous.  It  is  the 
loftiest  of  all  in  that  section  of  country,  and  is  capped 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  with  snow.  As  is 
invariably  the  case  with  the  large  majority  of  Mexi- 
can towns,  there  is  but  little  regularity  in  the  streets  of 
Santa  Fe ;  but  yet,  the  plaza  is  easily  reached  by  sev- 
eral avenues.  Santa  Fe  at  one  time  formed  the  grand 
commercial  emporium  of  the  great  interior  continent 
of  North  America ;  and  its  trade  diverged  to  every 
point  of  the  compass.  The  extent  of  this  trade  can  be 
realized  when  we  assert  the  fact  that,  with  the  State  of 
Missouri  alone  it  amounts  annually  to  several  mil- 
lions of  dollars.  The  stores  in  the  town  are  mostly 
owned,  and  the  mercantile  business  chiefly  carried  on, 
by  Americans.  These  American  speculators  are  cele- 
brated for  the  daring  manner  with  which  they  launch 
out  their  money  upon  various  enterprises.  With  them, 
the  greater  the  risk  when  their  chances  appear  that 
the  gain  will  be  large,  the  more  eager  they  are  in  fa- 
cing the  hazard.  They  sometimes  lose,  but  oftentimes 
realize  large  fortunes.  The  appearance  of  these  stores 
is  captivating  to  the  fancy,  and  many  of  them  would 
be  ornaments  to  any  of  the  larger  cities  or  towns  of  the 
East.  The  most  expensive  articles  of  luxury  and  dress 
are  to  be  found  in  them,  and  in  these  distant  parts  such 
property  commands  a  price  which  would  startle  and 
quite  shake  the  nerves  of  a  prince ;  but,  when  the 
people  can  obtain   the   money,  they  purchase   every- 


434  A   SANTA   FE    SENORLTA. 

thing  which  their  fancy  dictates.  A  Santa  Fe  senorita 
dashes  in  her  rich  silks  which  have  cost  hundreds  of  dol- 
lars with  as  much  grace  as  does  one  of  the  Washington 
or  Fifth  Avenue  belles,  clothed  in  the  same  luxuriant 
style.  In  Santa  Fe,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  it  requires 
vice  of  the  worst  shade  for  women  to  support  such  a 
style  of  living ;  but  the  morals  of  the  Mexicans  are  so 
loose  in  all  classes,  that  virtue  is  boldly  parted  with  by 
both  sexes  in  a  spirit  which  the  triumphs  of  natural 
reason  alone  ought  to  prevent,  and  which  no  lover  of 
humanity  can  admire  or  tolerate.  Gambling,  in  this 
town,  has  long  held  its  full  sway,  and  many  is  the  vic- 
tim which  this  wretched  wickedness  has  prematurely 
hurried  into  a  vortex,  from  which  there  has  been  no 
recovery. 

The  palmy  days  of  gambling,  in  San  Francisco,  have 
been  rivaled  in  the  little  town  of  Santa  Fe,  and  the 
boldness  with  which  the  Mexican  player  will  part 
with  his  last  dollar,  shows  the  hardened  state  to  which 
the  man,  and,  what  is  perhaps  worse,  the  woman,  have 
been  brought,  by  years  of  habitual  playing  for  money. 
In  olden  times,  the  Mexicans  used  to  travel  hundreds 
of  miles,  and  bring  their  money  with  them,  in  order  to 
squander  it  at  their  favorite  game  of  monte.  Not  only 
this  fact  is  true,  but  men  will  often  sell  themselves  into 
the  slavery  of  debt  in  order  to  satisfy  their  craving  de- 
sire to  gamble. 

The  town  of  Santa  Fe  is  watered  by  azequias  or  small 
canals,  which  are  used  in  every  section  of  the  Terri- 
tory, with  which  to  irrigate  the  soil.  Near  the  town, 
and  on  a  hill  adjoining,  stands  the  ruins  of  Fort  Marcy, 
which  was  used  by  the  American  Volunteers  during  the 
conquest  of  the  country  in  1846.     This  fort  commands 


THE    BUILDINGS    OF    SANTA    FE.  435 

the  town  ;  and,  for  the  purpose  which  governed  its 
building  it  answered  very  well.  There  are  several  good 
boarding-houses  in  Santa  Fe,  and  several  hotels  which 
are  well  fitted  up,  and  well  kept.  They  form  the  ren- 
dezvous for  the  whole  town.  The  commanding  general 
of  the  military  department  which  comprises  the  Terri- 
tory of  New  Mexico,  with  his  staff,  makes  this  town  his 
head-quarters.  There  is  also  a  garrison  of  American 
soldiers  stationed  in  the  town.  The  governor  of  the 
Territory,  the  judges,  surveyor  and  all  the  government 
officials,  of  any  importance,  make  this  place  their  home. 
The  Territorial  buildings,  being  the  halls  of  legislation, 
and  such  other  buildings  as  are  necessary  for  the  State 
and  Territorial  purposes,  both  finished  and  under  process 
of  erection,  are  located  in  Santa  Fe.  On  one  side  of 
the  plaza  there  stands  a  long,  low  building  known  as 
the  Palace.  No  one,  however,  would  be  aware  of  the 
fact  if  not  informed  of  it ;  for  the  building  has  more 
the  appearanee  of  having  been  intended  for  a  rope- 
walk  than  for  the  assemblage  of  savants,  who  were  to 
discuss  and  arrange  matters  of  state  and  public  inter- 
est. Notwithstanding  the  small  pretensions  in  the  way 
of  architecture  which  the  Palace  presents,  nevertheless, 
within  it,  there  have  lived  old  Mexican  governors  who 
ruled  their  people  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  whose  fiery 
impulses  went  forth  as  just  and  equitable  law.  These 
tyrants — for  it  was  very  seldom  that  the  poor  and  ig- 
norant New  Mexicans  were  favored  with  a  good,  wise 
and  just  governor — governed  on  the  principle  of  self- 
aggrandizement.  Being  far  separated  from  their  home 
government,  they  took  care  to  smother  all  evil  reports, 
while  the  good,  only,  were  allowed  to  circulate  ;  and 
these,  so  far  as  the  home  government  was  concerned, 


436  PIONEER    LAWS    OF    NEW   MEXICO. 

solely  by  their  authority,  in  order  to  have  the  desired 
effect  to  retain  them  in  office.  In  this  they  were  usu- 
ally successful,  as  they  generally  retained  their  lucra- 
tive positions  until  cut  off  by  death,  or  until  they  had 
amassed  a  fortune  which  made  their  tasks  burdensome. 
Many  of  these  men  might  have  been  envied  by  the 
richest  of  Americans,  so  far  as  wealth  is  considered. 
They  were  so  envied  by  the  wealthy  men  at  the  capi- 
tal of  the  republic.  These  provinces  of  Mexico  were 
the  Indies  where  troublesome  opponents  were  to  be 
sent  by  government,  to  suck,  like  leeches,  the  public 
treasury,  and  thus  obtain  their  fill  to  repletion.  When 
the  United  States  came  into  possession  of  New  Mexico, 
affairs  were  somewhat  tempered  to  the  state  of  reason 
and  justice ;  but,  a  people  who  had  so  long  been  kept 
down,  could  not  at  once  appreciate  the  value  of  the 
changes ;  consequently,  they  have  been  slow  in  ele- 
vating their  heads  to  the  proper  standard  of  men. 
The  legislature  of  New  Mexico,  as  it  has  been  recog- 
nized under  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  re- 
sembles other  forms  of  territorial  governments.  This 
statement  is  true  in  theory,  but  not  in  practice  ;  for  it- 
is  impossible  to  collect  an  uneducated  people,  unused 
to  self-government,  and  allow  them  to  steer  their  own 
bark  as  law-makers,  without  observing  that  they  make 
many  openings  for  serious  mistakes  to  creep  in,  which 
are  and  should  be  severely  criticised.  The  pioneer 
laws,  as  they  came  from  the  first  New  Mexican  legisla- 
ture, were  faulty  in  the  extreme.  They  seemed  to 
point  out  wickedness  as  a  punishment  for  wickedness. 
If  we  desired  to  afford  our  readers  a  laugh,  we  should 
permit  them  to  read  many  of  these  laws.  The  simple 
perusal  of  them  would  cause  merriment  equal  to  the 


GRADUALLY    MENDING    THEIR    WATS.  437 

most  laughable  comedy.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  few 
white  men,  who,  from  time  to  time,  have  found  their 
way  into  the  legislature  of  New  Nexico,  the  whole  body 
would  long  since  have  lost  themselves  in  the  depth  of 
learning  which  their  untutored  minds  had  undertaken 
to  engraft  upon  their  statute  books.  The  members  of 
this  body,  for  a  long  time,  turned  their  attention  more 
to  the  emoluments  which  naturally  accrued  from  their 
position,  than  to  endeavors  to  steady  the  helm  of  gov- 
ernment for  the  good  of  their  country.  In  order  to 
save  their  pay,  they  studied  economy,  which  caused 
them  to  make  a  beggarly  appearance,  and,  in  the  eyes 
of  the  white  men,  they  were  often  contemptibly  mean. 
Greatly  predominating  in  numbers,  the  Mexicans  of 
course  had  no  difficulty  in  ruling  the  country  ;  and  they 
naturally  preferred  their  own  countrymen  in  filling 
the  law-making  department  of  their  government.  The 
consequence  was,  that  they  thus  obtained  a  crowd  of 
legislators  who  could  hardly  read.  By  the  aid  of  a  few 
schools,  an  enlightened  press,  and  the  examples  of  a 
few  worthy  Americans,  they  are  gradually  mending 
their  ways  in  this  respect ;  and  the  time  will  come,  in 
a  few  years,  when  the  legislature  of  New  Mexico  will 
compare  favorably  with  its  sister  territories ;  but  this, 
not  until  education  has  made  her  indelible  mark  upon 
the  people. 

The  town  of  Santa  Fe  is  provided  with  a  Roman 
Catholic  church,  which,  under  the  judicious  manage- 
ment of  the  present  bishop  and  clergy,  is  doing  what  it 
can  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  Mexican  popula- 
tion. Other  religious  denominations  have  not  yet  been 
fully  developed,  although  the  attempt  is  being  made  to 
establish  churches  of  the  Protestant  faith  on  a  sure  and 


438  THE    ROMAN    CATHOLIC    FAITH. 

permanent  footing ;  but  this,  although  we  regard  it  as 
certain,  will  take  time,  for  the  majority  of  the  people, 
lean  strongly  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith.  It  is  a  very 
singular  fact,  that  among  the  population  of  seventy 
thousand  souls  included  in  the  limits  of  the  Territory 
of  New  Mexico,  there  have  been  such  feeble  and  vain 
attempts  made  by  Protestant  missionaries  to  bring  the 
people  to  their  mode  of  thinking.  The  task  might 
have  been  impossible  when  the  country  was  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  old  Mexico  ;  but,  since  it  has  changed 
masters,  this  excuse  does  not  hold  good.  The  Mexi- 
cans, as  a  body,  learn  readily ;  they  easily  discern  be- 
tween right  and  wrong  ;  and,  as  the  field  for  Christian 
enterprise  to  work  in  is  large  enough  for  all  sects,  it  is 
strange  that  the  Protestant  church  is  not  found  labor- 
ing in  the  good  cause,  side  by  side  with  its  Roman 
Catholic  friend.  It  is  true,  there  are  a  few  persons 
struggling  on  under  the  auspices  of  the  Protestant 
church ;  but  they  are  so  few  that  they  are  seldom  met 
in  the  great  expanse  of  the  country.  Santa  Fe  has 
long  been  celebrated  as  having  a  depraved  population ; 
but,  as  honest  and  honorable  men  are  now  working 
with  satisfactory  success  for  a  reformation ,  the  day 
cannot  be  far  distant  when  this  town  will  redeem 
itself.  It  is  true  that,  not  many  years  back,  Santa 
Fe  was  filled  with  gamblers  and  desperadoes  of  all 
grades ;  but,  at  the  present  time,  law  and  order  is  be- 
ginning to  predominate,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
next  generation  will  see  a  better  state  of  affairs.  The 
vices  which  have  characterized  the  inhabitants  have 
not  been  confined,  by  any  means,  to  the  Mexicans ; 
but  rather  they  have  been  exemplified  in  those  Ameri- 
cans with  bad  characters,  who  have,  from  time  to  time, 


MERE    MATTERS    OF    ACCIDENT.  439 

crept  in  among  the  people.  These  men,  in  several 
instances,  have  set  examples  which  the  most  debased 
Mexican  would  hesitate  to  follow. 

The  appearance  of  Santa  Fe,  from  an  outside  view, 
is  anything  but  striking.  Its  houses,  like  most  Mexi- 
can buildings,  are  seldom  higher  than  one  story,  and, 
with  few  exceptions,  they  are  entirely  wanting  in 
beauty.  They  are  built  after  what  may  be  styled  a 
Mexican  mode  of  architecture,  and  consist  of  a  series 
of  rooms  which  encircle  an  open  square  or  court,  the 
access  to  which  is  through  a  large  portal.  These 
buildings  are  usually  huddled  together  towards  the 
centre  or  plaza,  while,  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town, 
they  are  greatly  scattered.  The  arrangement  of  the 
streets  appears  as  if  they  were  mere  matters  of  acci- 
dent rather  than  matters  of  system  or  intention.  The 
town  is  ornamented  by  few,  if  any,  trees,  while  the 
general  appearance  of  the  adjacent  country,  as  has 
been  seen,  is  barren.  The  markets  of  the  town  are 
but  sparingly  supplied  with  a  variety,  and  those 
articles  which  are  the  most  common,  bring,  compar- 
atively speaking,  good  prices.  Not  many  miles  from 
Santa  Fe  there  are  famous  silver  mines,  which  for 
many  years  were  worked  almost  entirely  by  hand. 
Within  a  recent  date  machinery  has  been  introduced 
by  some  enterprising  Americans,  and  the  precious  sil- 
ver ore  is  being  brought  to  light  in  large  quantities. 
In  point  of  amusement,  the  people  still  cling  to  the 
pleasures  of  the  fandango;  and,  as  this  town  is  much  in 
advance  of  any  other  in  the  Territory,  the  Santa  Fe 
balls  are  carried  on,  sometimes,  on  quite  a  grand  scale. 
The  majority  of  them  are  the  places  of  resort  for  the 
free  classes  of  society.     The  more  respectable  people 


440       FROM    SANTA   FE   TO   THE    MISSOURI    RIVER. 

seldom  attend  them,  and  then  only  when  they  are  cer- 
tain that  they  will  find  the  ceremonies  conducted  in 
the  spirit  which  administers  really  to  pleasure  and  not 
to  excess.  The  distance  from  Santa  Fe  to  the  Missouri 
River,  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  nine  hundred  miles. 
The  road,  for  the  first  one  hundred  miles  towards  the 
Santa  Fe  terminus,  is  rough  and  hilly ;  but,  after  that, 
it  strikes  out  on  the  open  plains,  and  is  as  level  as  can 
possibly  be  for  such  an  immense  distance.  It  is  over 
this  beautiful  road  that  we  have  several  times  described 
Kit  Carson  as  he  traveled  to  and  from  the  United  States, 
though  more  frequently,  as  has  been  seen,  he  preferred 
routes  of  his  own  selection,  which  enabled  him,  with 
his  small  escorts,  to  elude  the  vigilant  watch  of  hostile 
Indians. 


A    FRESH    CAMPAIGN.  441 


CHAPTER    XYI. 

A  fresh  Campaign  set  on  foot — Colonel  Cook  in  Command — Kit  Carson 
goes  as  Guide — The  Apaches  and  Utahs  leagued  together — The  Rough- 
ness of  the  Country  and  the  Privations  to  which  the  Command  was 
exposed — The  Indians  overhauled — A  running  Fight — The  Advantages 
gained — The  Chase  resumed — The  Apaches  resort  to  their  old  Tricks 
—Colonel  Cook  is  obliged  to  return  to  Abiquiu — A  Utah  taken  Pris- 
oner through  Mistake — Kit  Carson  goes  to  Taos  and  has  a  Conference 
with  the  Chiefs  of  the  Utah  Nation — Cook's  second  Scout — He  is 
caught  in  a  furious  Snow-storm  and  is  obliged  to  return  to  Rio  Col- 
orado— Major  Brooks  and  Re-inforcements  come  to  the  Rescue — Major 
Brooks  on  the  Lookout,  but  fails  to  find  the  Indians — Carleton's  Ex- 
pedition— Kit  Carson  goes  with  it  as  Guide — The  Adventures  met 
with — Kit  Carson's  Prophecy  comes  true — The  Muache  Band  of  Utahs 
summoned  by  Kit  Carson  to  a  Grand  Council — Troubles  brewing 
among  these  Indians — The  Small-Pox  carries  off  their  Head  Men. 

To  retrieve  the  ground  lost,  and  also,  to  show  the 
Jiccarilla  Apaches  that  their  recent  victory  had  tended 
only  to  stimulate  the  movements  of  the  Americans  to  a 
display  of  greater  activity  and  energy,  after  a  brief 
space  of  time,  a  large  body  of  regular  troops  were  made 
ready  to  take  the  field  against  them.  The  commander 
of  this  expedition  was  Colonel  Cook  of  the  Second  Regi- 
ment of  United  States  Dragoons.  That  officer  chose 
for  his  principal  guide  Kit  Carson,  whose  peace  duties 
as  Indian  Agent  had  been  abruptly  arrested  by  the  war- 
like attitude  of  some  of  his  Indians.  It  was  necessary, 
also,  that  Kit  Carson  should  be  on  the  ground  in  case 
the    red   men  were  overtaken,  in   order   to   ascertain 


442  PUEBLO    INDIANS    AS    SPIES. 

whether,  or  no,  the  Utahs  were  mixed  up  with  the  op- 
erations of  the  Apaches.  A  large  branch  of  the  former 
tribe  were  part  and  parcel  of  his  agency,  and  the  two 
nations  were  known  to  be  on  very  friendly  terms  with 
each  other  ;  consequently,  it  was  surmised  that  they 
might  be  secretly,  and  under  disguise,  acting  together 
in  the  war. 

Colonel  Cook  employed,  besides  the  troops  of  the 
line  which  were  under  his  command,  some  forty  men 
selected  from  among  the  Mexican  and  Pueblo  Indians, 
whose  duties  were  to  act  as  spies  and  trailers. 

These  Pueblos  were  selected  for  spies  on  account  of 
their  being  familiar  with  Indian  habits,  and  their  mode 
of  warfare.  They  were  taken  from  among  the  best 
hunters  which  the  Pueblo  villages  could  furnish.  They 
presented  themselves  provided  with  their  own  horses, 
rifles,  and,  in  most  cases,  with  their  own  ammunition, 
and  were  supplied  only  with  their  rations  of  food. 
When  it  was  practicable,  the}''  were  allowed  to  kill 
game;  and,  being  very  expert  at  it,  they  seldom  re- 
turned from  a  hunt  open-handed.  Their  peaceful  mode 
of  life  prevented  them  from  engaging  in  any  deep 
league  with  the  hostile  Indians ;  but  yet,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  when  the  different  tribes  were  at  war  with 
the  whites,  the  Pueblos  harbored  the  warlike  Indians, 
and  supplied  them,  in  many  instances,  with  such  arti- 
cles as  they  stood  most  in  need  of.  Their  policy  in 
thus  acting  might  have  been  to  retain  the  friendship  of 
these  Indians,  and  thus  prevent  their  committing  any 
depredations  on  themselves.  The  Pueblos  may  have 
taken  advantage  of  the  state  of  affairs  when  war  exist- 
ed, and  doubtless  frequently  did,  under  disguise  of  the 
enemy,  become   guilty  of  crimes  which  could   easily 


LOYAL    TO    THE    GOVERNMENT.  443 

have  been  proven  against  them.  The  Mexicans  have 
often  tried  to  criminate  the  Pueblos  for  thus  acting ; 
but  they  have  proceeded  with  such  bungling  policy, 
that  it  has  seldom  happened  that  anything  criminal  has 
been  definitely  proven  against  them.  If  a  part  of  them 
have  thus  acted,  there  is  not  the  least  doubt  but  that 
the  majority  are  guiltless.  They  are,  as  a  body,  loyal 
to  the  government  of  the  United  States ;  but,  not  so 
much  from  love  of  the  Americans  as  from  being  shrewd. 
They  know  it  is  for  self-interest  to  keep  good  friends 
with  the  strongest  power.  On  these  war  scouts  they 
rendered  valuable  service,  and  in  this  light,  have  been 
long  regarded  with  favor  by  the  whites. 

The  command  of  these  forty  Mexicans  and  Pueblo 
Indians  was  conferred  upon  James  H.  Quinn,  a  well- 
known  and  prominent  citizen  of  New  Mexico.  This 
gentleman  became  intimately  associated  with  the  Ter- 
ritory of  New  Mexico  soon  after  that  country  was  an- 
nexed to  the  United  States.  In  politics,  military  life, 
farming  and  mercantile  pursuits,  he  was  most  actively 
engaged,  and  by  his  talents  and  industry,  took  a  prom- 
inent position,  and  became  an  influential  member  of 
society.  He  had  some  faults  ;  (who  has  not  ?)  but  his 
unexpected  death  came  so  suddenly  upon  his  friends, 
that  they  could  only  think  of  him  for  the  many  good 
qualities  both  of  his  head  and  heart.  Hence,  his  faults 
were  most  willingly  passed  over  in  silence. 

All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  command  entered 
upon  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians.  They  marched  from 
Taos,  ten  miles  north,  to  a  stream  called  the  Arroya 
Hondo.  Thence,  following  the  banks  of  this  stream 
down  through  its  deep  and  rocky  canon,  they  came  to 
the  Rio  del  Norte. 


444  AN    ANCIENT    AZTEC    TOWN. 

On  the  first-named  stream,  there  is  a  small  and  un- 
attractive settlement,  which  bears  the  same  name. 
Several  years  since,  there  was  a  large  distillery  in  full 
operation  at  this  place.  This  establishment  was  owned 
by  an  American,  and  was  very  extensive.  The  build- 
ing was  celebrated  as  being  the  place  where  several 
Americans  were  slaughtered  by  the  Mexicans  during 
the  revolution  in  which  Governor  Bent  lost  his  life, 
heretofore  spoken  of.  On  the  plain  which  is  contig- 
uous with  the  south  bank  of  the  Arroya  Hondo,  there 
are  to  be  found  the  remains  of  a  large  Aztec  town, 
which  was,  at  some  remote  period,  the  largest  settle- 
ment inhabited  by  that  interesting  people  to  be  found 
in  northern  New  Mexico.  At  the  present  day  can  be 
seen  the  size  and  almost  the  number  of  houses  which 
formed  the  town — which  are  very  numerous.  The 
building  material,  as  here  used  by  the  Aztecs,  was  small 
cobble-stones  which  undoubtedly  were  mixed  with  mud 
and  thus  formed  the  structure.  Pieces  of  pottery,  flint 
arrow-points ;  stone  pipe  and  rude  tools  have  been, 
from  time  to  time,  found  on  the  site  of  the  town,  going 
to  prove  that  the  people  were  not  wandering  in  their 
habits,  but  that  instead,  they  occupied  their  time  in 
farming,  raising  cattle  and  mining.  The  wild  Indians 
may  have  murdered  the  inhabitants,  and  then  destroyed 
the  town ;  or,  civil  war  and  pestilence  might  have 
caused  it  to  become  deserted,  when,  as  a  natural  result, 
it  fell  to  decay.  The  most  plausible  theory  to  enter- 
tain is  the  former,  as  every  old  Mexican  town  of  the 
North  contains  relics  which  could  not  have  been  de- 
signed merely  in  case  of  an  emergency.  .  Not  one  of 
these  towns  in  olden  times  was  without  a  large  well, 
which,  in  most  instances,  was  bountifully  supplied  with 


PREPARED    FOR    AN    EMERGENCY.  445 

water.  In  time  of  peace,  these  extensive  reservoirs 
were  covered  over  and  concealed  from  view,  and  there- 
fore, but  few  strangers  could  be  made  aware  of  their 
existence.  On  the  breaking  out  of  war,  these  wells 
were  thrown  open  for  public  use,  and,  being  located  in 
the  centre  of  the  towns,  the  inhabitants  escaped  that 
danger  in  procuring  water  which  necessarily  would 
have  surrounded  them  in  case  they  had  been  obliged, 
as  they  are  now,  to  bring  it  from  the  neighboring 
streams.  As  time  rolled  on,  and  danger  was  lessened, 
these  wells  were  almost  forgotten,  until  the  timber 
which  covered  them  rotted  and  allowed  their  fragments 
and  the  earth  to  cave  in,  when  the  object  of  the  dig- 
ging these  reservoirs  became  apparent.  It  is  an  estab- 
lished fact  in  history  that  the  town  of  Taos  once  with- 
stood a  long  and  fearful  siege,  but  finally  escaped,  as 
did  its  people,  uninjured.  The  besieging  party,  in  this 
instance,  was  composed  of  the  Indians  of  the  plains ; 
they  were  present  to  the  number  of  many  thousand,  and 
were  at  last  compelled  to  depart,  as  is  supposed,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  provisions  giving  out.  Reasoning  from 
analogy,  it  is  no  more  than  proper  to  suppose,  that  if  the 
early  settlements  of  the  Mexicans  were  thus  annoyed, 
the  case  of  the  Aztecs  must  have  been  still  harder,  and 
that,  being  overcome  by  numbers,  they  were  necessi- 
tated to  succumb ;  and  hence  were  swept,  by  the  In- 
dians of  the  plains,  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  leaving 
but  a  dim  outline  of  their  ancient  grandeur. 

The  party  found  the  stream  very  much  swollen  by 
the  melting  of  the  snows  in  the  mountains.  When 
they  arrived  at  its  fording-place,  notwithstanding  a  tor- 
rent rolled  before  them,  the  command  was,  of  a  neces- 
sity, given  to  cross.     There  was  no  shrinking.     Without 


446  PERILOUS    FORDING. 

a  single  murmur,  the  entire  command  set  themselves 
about  the  perilous  task.  The  bed  of  the  river  at  this 
place  is  rocky  and  shelving.  At  low  water,  these  facts 
offer  no  great  obstacles  in  crossing.  The  case  is  very 
different  when  the  torrent  has  reached  high-water- 
mark — then,  a  single  step  will  often  plunge  horse  and 
rider  into  the  angry  waters  be}^ond  their  depth.  Kit 
Carson  boldly  took  the  lead,  and  before  the  infantry 
had  all  passed,  the  horses  of  the  dragoons  had  to  be 
sent  back  to  assist  them.  To  facilitate  this  fording, 
Kit  Carson  crossed  and  recrossed  the  stream  at  least 
twenty  times.  No  serious  accident  occurred,  although 
three  of  the  dragoons  came  near  being  swept  down  the 
current,  which,  at  the  time,  was  very  swift  and  strong. 
Had  they  gone  below  the  fording-place,  they  would 
most  assuredly  have  been  drowned,  as  the  river  there 
takes  a  fearful  leap  through  a  cut  in  the  rocks.  Hav- 
ing safely  gained  the  opposite  shore,  the  men  found 
that  their  labors  had  but  just  commenced.  In  front  of 
them  stood  a  precipice  that  was,  at  the  least  calcula- 
tion, six  hundred  feet  in  height,  of  solid  rock,  and 
almost  perpendicular.  Up  this  ascent  the  command 
had  to  mount,  by  following  a  zigzag  trail.  With  much 
trouble  and  toil,  the  summit  of  the  height  was  reached, 
when  they  once  more  commenced  their  journey  over 
a  diversified  country,  made  up  of  plains  and  ravines. 
No  grass  or  water  was  found  until  the  expedition 
arrived  at  a  small  Mexican  town  called  Sirvilletta. 
Here  an  encampment  was  formed  for  one  night,  and 
here  their  animals  were  to  have  their  last  rations 
of  corn  and  forage.  The  sale  of  these  latter  articles 
proved  a  windfall  to,  and  made  glad  the  hearts  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  settlement;  for  the  money  which 


OVER-SHOOTING    THE    MARK.  447 

they  received  in  exchange  for  their  produce  was  the 
largest  sum  they  had  ever  possessed.  Thus,  in  more 
ways  than  one,  these  campaigns  in  the  mountains 
caused  good  results. 

These  settlements  on  the  remote  frontiers  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  New  Mexico  are  composed  of  very  poor  peo- 
ple, who,  for  many  years  succeeding  their  first  efforts 
in  establishing  their  small  farms,  find  great  difficulty 
in  doing  more  than  to  feed  themselves.  Their  distance 
from  markets  such  as  Taos  affords,  prevents  them  from 
transporting  thither  more  than  their  small  surplus  of 
grain ;  but,  as  in  this  case,  on  thus  finding  many  hungry 
horses  and  mules  to  feed,  their  corn-stalks  and  wheat- 
straw  come  into  demand,  and  bring  them  in  a  remuner- 
ation in  ready  money,  in  sums  which  they  have  not 
even  dreamed  of  before.  The  only  difficulty  in  trading 
with  such  people  is  to  fix  a  fair  price  on  their  produce ; 
for  they  are  so  fearful  of  not  receiving  enough,  that 
they  often  overshoot  the  mark,  and  charge  so  much  as 
to  prevent  other  expeditions  of  the  same  sort  from  vis- 
iting them.  With  the  few  dollars  in  their  pockets  thus 
gained  from  the  party,  these  Mexicans  for  once  felt 
themselves  rich  men. 

Early  on  the  subsequent  day  the  whole  force  was 
again  in  motion,  and  continued  an  active  inarch  for  two 
days  over  a  rough  country.  At  last  Kit  Carson  struck 
the  Indian  trail.  The  course  was  instantly  made  to  suit 
this  trail,  when  the  party  marched  on  two  days  more 
at  a  rapid  pace.  On  the  second  day's  march,  the  In- 
dians were  overhauled.  The  band  of  Apaches  had  been 
jogging  on  slowly,  and  consequently,  their  animals  were 
in  good  order.  The  case  was  far  different  with  their 
pursuers ;  their  horses  were  much  used  up  by  overwork 


448  A    BRAVE    OFFICER. 

and  privations.  Thus,  when  their  strength  was  most 
needed,  it  was  found  wanting.  The  Indians  espied  the 
soldiers  in  time  to  make  good  their  flight,  but  not  quick 
enough  to  save  the  lives  of  all  their  warriors.  Several 
of  them  were  killed  and  many  more  were  wounded. 
They  also  lost  a  few  of  their  horses,  and  nearly  all  their 
camp  equipage.  The  roughness  of  the  section  of  the 
country  where  they  were  overtaken,  assisted  the  sav- 
ages in  escaping,  notwithstanding  every  effort  was  made 
by  the  Americans  to  prevent  their  leaving  so  easily. 
Kit  Carson,  when  describing  these  events,  said :  "  To 
Captain  Sykes,  who  commanded  the  infantry,  is  due  the 
greatest  amount  of  praise  for  the  part  he  acted  in  our 
adventures.  When  his  men  were  almost  broken  down 
with  sore  feet,  long  and  difficult  marches,  want  of  pro- 
visions, the  coldness  of  the  weather,  and  with  their 
clothing  nearly  worn  out,  and  when  they  were  on  the 
point  of  giving  up  with  despair,  they  were  prevented 
from  so  doing  by  witnessing  the  noble  example  set  them 
by  their  captain.  He  showed  them  what  a  soldier's  duty 
really  was,  and  this  so  touched  their  pride  that  they 
hobbled  along  as  if  determined  to  follow  him  until  death 
relieved  them  from  their  sufferings.  Although  this 
officer  had  a  riding  animal  at  his  disposal,  yet  never 
for  once  did  he  mount  him ;  but  instead,  he  lent  the 
horse  to  some  deserving  soldier  who  was  on  the  point 
of  succumbing  to  overwork.  When  the  Indian  village 
was  discovered,  he  cheered  his  men  from  a  limping  walk 
into  a  sort  of  run,  and  dashing  through  a  swollen  moun- 
tain stream,  that  was  nearly  up  to  their  arm-pits  and 
full  of  floating  ice,  he  was,  with  his  company,  the  fore- 
most in  the  attack." 


HARD  ROADS  TO  TRAVEL.  449 

Two  soldiers  of  Captain  Sykes's  company  *  were 
wounded,  and  one  of  them  afterwards  died.  The  other 
man  was  severely  injured,  but  eventually  recovered. 
The  Indians,  on  being  routed,  were  pursued  through  a 
deep  canon  for  about  four  miles.  A  few  who  had  been 
previously  wounded  were  overtaken  and  slain.  Night 
now  came  on ;  therefore,  the  men  had  to  give  up  the 
chase,  and  on  returning  to  their  own  encampment  they 
found  their  friends  had  located  it  on  the  same  ground 
which  the  Indians  had  occupied  when  they  were  first 
discovered.  The  next  morning  the  surviving  wounded 
man,  with  an  escort,  was  sent  back  to  the  nearest  mili- 
tary post,  so  that  he  could  receive  proper  attention. 
The  pursuit  at  an  early  hour  was  then  resumed,  by  the 
soldiers'  taking  the  fresh  trail  of  the  Indians.  Awav 
went  both  parties  through  valleys,  canons,  and  over 
snow-clad  mountains,  until,  in  the  end,  the  Americans 
saw  that  it  was  impossible  to  overtake  the  red  men, 
who  began  to  break  up  into  squads  of  two  and  three 
and  scatter  in  every  direction.  During  the  latter  days 
of  the  chase,  the  routes  which  the  Indians  traveled  were 
the  worst  they  could  select ;  their  object  being,  entirely 
to  use  up  the  animals  of  their  pursuers,  who  were  thus 
vigorously  driving  them  from  one  haunt  to  another. 
Very  often,  at  night,  the  soldiers  would  find  themselves 
bivouacked  but  a  short  distance  from  the  place  which 
they  had  left  on  the  previous  morning ;  and  this  hap- 
pened, when  not  once,  during  the  whole  clay,  had  they 
missed  the  trail  or  ceased  traveling ;  but  the  fact  was, 
that  the  enemy  were  so  familiar  with  the  country  that 
they  made  these  crooked  trails  with  impunity.  Finally, 
the  Indians  saw  that  in  this  trial  of  muscles  and  nerves 

♦•Company  D,  2d  Regiment  U.  S.  Artillery. 


450  THE    TOWN    OF    ABIQUIU- 

they  gained  nothing,  and  could  not  thus  shake  off  their 
pursuers,  but  that  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  try  other 
expedients;  therefore  they  separated,  to  meet  again 
at  some  preconcerted  rendezvous.  On  this  occasion,  as 
so  often  heretofore,  the  Apaches  did  not  belie  the  char- 
acter formed  of  them  by  some  of  our  most  experienced 
military  men,  and  of  which  we  have  before  spoken  : 
viz.,  that  they  have  no  equals  lor  endurance,  and  such 
a  thing  as  overtaking  them  when  once  put  to  flight  is 
almost  out  of  the  category  of  the  white  man's  feats. 

There  being  nothing  more  that  could  be  accom- 
plished by  the  pursuit,  consequently,  Colonel  Cook 
ordered  his  men  to  face  about,  and  they  having  done 
so,  he  made  a  direct  march  to  Abiquiu,  a  Mexican  vil- 
lage that  is  located  on  the  Rio  Chamo,  a  tributary  of 
the  Rio  del  Norte.  The  design  he  had  in  going  there 
was  to  recruit  his  men  and  animals.  Their  sufferings 
had  been  severe.  Although  performing  constantly 
more  than  double  duty,  the  entire  command  was  put 
upon  half  allowance  of  food,  and  that  little  could  not 
be  properly  cooked.  For  this  reason,  the  trials  and 
hardships  which  they  experienced  were  of  no  ordinary 
character. 

The  town  of  Abiquiu,  where  Colonel  Cook  arrived, 
is  about  sixty  miles  north-west  from  Santa  Fe,  and  a 
traveler  can  make  a  journey  through  valleys  from  one 
town  to  the  other.  It  stands  next  to  Taos  in  point  of 
magnitude  and  importance  in  the  matter  of  townships 
in  the  north  of  New  Mexico.  The  scenery  about  this 
settlement  is  very  attractive,  and,  as  it  lies  on  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Utah  Indian  country,  it  is  frequently  visited 
by  these  Indians.  The  neighbors  of  the  Utahs,  the 
Navajoes,  occasionally  make  their  appearance  in  the 


UTAH    TERRITORY.  451 

town.  The  Mexicans  of  Abiquiu,  from  their  continued 
intercourse  with  bands  of  the  Utah  Indians,  are  more 
or  less  linked  in  with  them;  and,  in  time  of  war,  the 
Americans  can  place  but  little  confidence  in  the  inhab- 
itants of  Abiquiu  on  this  account.  The  grazing  and 
farming  facilities  of  the  country  adjacent  to  this  town 
are  quite  progressive,  and  were  it  not  for  the  Indians, 
its  resources  would  be  much  more  rapidly  developed 
than  they  now  are. 

Utah  was  originally  part  of  the  territory  of  Upper 
California.  The  United  States  came  in  possession  of 
it  by  treaty  with  Mexico  in  1848.  The  population  is 
chiefly  Mormon.  The  new  territory,  as  set  off  by 
the  United  States  in  1850,  includes  an  area  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  twenty-three  square  miles,  or  one  hundred  and 
twenty  millions  two  hundred  and  seventy  thousand 
and  seven  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Near  the 
eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  rano-e  there  are 
several  lakes  which  receive  the  waters  of  the  eastern 
slope  of  these  leviathan  mountains.  One  of  these 
lakes  bears  the  name  of  Kit  Carson,  having  been 
named  Carson  Lake  by  Colonel  Fremont. 

In  one  respect  this  country  has  characteristics  seldom 
met  with  in  any  part  of  the  globe.  Large  numbers  of 
the  lakes  and  rivers  have  no  outlets.  Such  is  the  fact 
in  regard  to  Carson  Lake.  The  only  means  by  which 
their  waters  are  reduced  is  by  evaporation.  The  Great 
Salt  Lake  of  Utah,  to  the  traveler,  is  of  great  interest. 
It  may  well  be  called  the  Dead  Sea  of  Utah. 

As  has  been  seen,  Colonel  Cook  and  party  were  now 
halted  at  a  Mexican  village  of  the  Rio  Chamo,  a  trib- 
utary of  the  Rio  Grande  or  del  Norte. 


452  CAPTURE    OF   A    UTAH    INDIAN. 

The  party  that  had  been  sent  back  with  the  wounded 
man,  while  on  their  journey  met  and  captured  an  In- 
dian. Supposing  him  to  be  an  Apache,  they  deprived 
him  of  his  horse  and  arms,  and  otherwise  treated  him 
as  a  prisoner.  While  they  were  en  route,  the  Indian 
made  his  escape  and  joined  his  tribe.  This  captive 
they  afterwards  learned  was  a  Utah,  whose  tribe  had 
the  external  appearance  of  being  friendly  towards  the 
whites,  although  there  were  existing  good  reasons  for 
doubting  their  sincerity.  Colonel  Cook,  fearing  that 
such  treatment  might  offer  the  Utahs  a  plausible  ex- 
cuse for  openly  declaring  war,  determined  to  clear 
himself  of  censure  by  making  such  reparations  as  was 
in  his  power.  Accordingly  he  dispatched  Kit  Carson 
to  the  head-quarters  of  his  Agency,  in  order  to  set- 
tle matters.  On  reaching  Taos,  Kit  Carson  sent  an 
expressman  to  the  Utah  village,  with  the  request  that 
their  chiefs  would  come  and  have  a  talk  with  him. 
They  obeyed  this  summons,  and  when  they  were 
seated  in  council  with  their  "  Father  Kit,"  he  ex- 
plained to  them  how  that  the  soldiers  had  taken 
prisoner  their  brave  through  mistake  and  ignorance. 
He  informed  them  that  his  countrymen  did  not  wish 
to  do  their  tribe  any  injury,  and  he  trusted  that  they 
would  overlook  the  affair,  advising  them  that  the  best 
way  to  show  to  the  white  men  that  their  intentions  were 
honest  would  be  by  not  rendering  aid  to  the  Apa- 
ches. He  said  that  he  had  not  sent  for  them  through 
fear,  as  their  warriors  were  but  a  handful  when  com- 
pared to  the  soldiers  of  their  "  Great  Father,"  but 
the  main  object  always  to  be  held  in  view  in  their  de- 
liberations, was  to  cultivate  friendship,  as  the  country 
was  large  enough  for  both  parties  to  live  in.     The  In- 


AFTER    THE    JICCAR1LLAS.  453 

dians  replied  that  they  were  satisfied  with  the  explana- 
tion made  to  them,  and  declared  that  their  hearts  were 
not  in  the  least  inimical  towards  the  whites.  On  hear- 
ing this,  Kit  Carson  restored  to  them  the  captured  prop- 
erty, and  also  made  to  the  chiefs  themselves  a  few  use- 
ful presents. 

Colonel  Cook,  after  granting  a  sufficient  rest  to  his 
men.  and  after  obtaining  supplies  at  Abiquiu,  started 
out  again  to  hunt  the  Jiccarillas.  He  was  so  fortunate 
soon  after  as  to  find  a  fresh  trail,  and  in  hot  haste  fol- 
lowed it  for  several  days,  when,  unfortunately,  he  was 
caught  in  a  furious  snow-storm  which  obliterated  the 
tracks  of  the  Indians,  besides  otherwise  greatly  dam- 
aging his  resources.  The  fair  prospects  of  a  successful 
termination  to  the  expedition  being  so  suddenly  frus- 
trated, the  commander  had  no  other  alternative  open  to 
him  but  to  return.  This  he  did  by  going  to  the  Rito  Col- 
orado, a  small  town  that  lay  on  his  route.  Here  the  com- 
mand was  joined  by  Major  Brooks  of  the  Third  Reg- 
iment of  United  States  Infantry,  who  had  marched  to  the 
relief  of  Colonel  Cook  with  re-inforcements.  As  soon 
as  the  necessary  preparations  were  gone  through  with, 
another  scout  was  undertaken,  under  charge  of  this  last- 
named  officer,  while  Colonel  Cook  and  his  men  retired 
from  their  active  service. 

Major  Brooks,  without  much  difficulty,  struck  upon 
a  recent  path  made  by  the  enemy,  and  on  it  gave  them 
chase.  The  Indians  were  making  their  way  to  the  Utah 
country,  and  on  arriving  there,  the  plans  of  the  Major 
were  completely  balked,  owing  to  the  great  numbers 
of  fresh  trails  that  he  discovered  in  those  parts.  They 
were  so  numerous  that  they  crossed  and  recrossed  one 
another  at  all  points,  and  were  so  similar  that  his  best 


454  KIT    CARSON   AND    MAJOR   CARLTON. 

guides  could  not  distinguish  the  one  made  by  the  Apa- 
ches from  those  belonging  to  the  Utahs.  The  result 
was  that  this  command,  after  being  in  the  field  for  fif- 
teen days,  was  compelled  to  return  without  accomplish- 
ing anything. 

These  two  nations,  the  Utahs  and  Apaches,  have  been 
so  long  intimate,  that  many  of  their  habits  and  customs 
are  the  same,  and  very  often  it  requires  them  to  speak 
their  respective  languages,  before  they  can  be  recog- 
nized; but,  usually,  the  Utahs  are  cleaner  and  better 
dressed  than  their  faithful  allies,  the  Apaches,  whom 
they  use,  in  time  of  peace  and  war,  as  tools. 

After  allowing  sufficient  time  for  the  Apaches  to  col- 
lect and  reorganize,  so  that  the}^  would  be  more  accessi- 
ble, a  third  expedition  was  made  ready  and  placed  un- 
der the  command  of  Major  Carlton  of  the  First  Regi- 
ment of  United  States  Dragoons.  Major  Carlton  em- 
ployed as  his  guide,  Kit  Carson. 

This  command,  at  first,  traveled  to  the  north  one  hun- 
dred miles,  until  it  reached  Fort  Massachusetts.  Here 
it  halted  for  one  day,  until  the  final  arrangement  could 
be  finished.  Major  Carlton  then  divided  his  party, 
sending  one  division,  which  consisted  of  his  spy  com- 
pany, under  Captain  Quinn,  to  examine  the  country  on 
the  west  side  of  the  White  Mountains,  while  he  took  it 
upon  himself  to  inspect  the  territory  on  the  east  side  of 
the  same  range. 

Captain  Quinn  followed,  up  the  valley  of  San  Luis. 
When  he  reached  the  Mosco  Pass,  he  turned  off  through 
it  in  order  to  get  into  the  Wet  Mountain  Valley,  where 
it  had  been  previously  agreed  upon  that  he  should  meet 
with  and  report  progress  to  his  commanding  officer. 

The   Mosco   Pass  is  a  narrow  opening  in  the  White 


ON    THE    EIGHT    SCENT.  455 

Mountains,  which  latter  is  but  another  name  for  a 
branch  of  the  Rock}'  Chain.  This  pass  has  been  trav- 
ersed by  Colonel  St.  Vrain,  many  years  ago,  with  wagons, 
but,  at  the  present  time,  such  a  feat  would  prove  to  be 
an  impossibility,  as  the  mountain  streams  have  washed 
down  large  rocks  and  other  obstacles,  which  now  pre- 
sent difficulties  which  simply  men  and  animals  cannot 
overcome.  The  pass  itself  is  but  a  few  miles  in  length. 
It  is  but  a  deep  cut  through  very  lofty  mountains. 
Its  sides  are  rocky,  craggy  and  very  rough,  defying,  in 
many  places,  the  most  experienced  climber  to  ascend 
them.  It  is  a  favorite  route  which  the  Apaches  like  to 
take  when  hotly  pursued,  as  it  offers  them  the  saving 
of  many  miles  of  difficult  and  circuitous  traveling, 
when  they  wish  to  reach  the  open  prairies. 

On  reaching  the  place  of  rendezvous,  Carlton,  while 
in  the  Sangre  de  Christo  Pass,  by  the  aid  of  his  guide, 
Kit  Carson,  discovered  a  trail  made  by  three  of  the 
enemy,  and  on  following  it  up,  it  was  found  to  join  the 
main  path  on  the  Huerfano  Creek.  On  the  arrival  of 
Quinn,  who  had  discovered  signs  which  indicated  the 
direction  the  Indians  were  taking,  a  conference  was 
called,  when  all  the  old  guides  and  spies  of  the  party 
agreed  in  believing  they  were  on  the  right  scent.  The 
skill  shown  by  men  accustomed  to  the  business  of 
tracking  Indians,  either  for  friendly  or  warlike  pur- 
poses, is  oftentimes  truly  wonderful,  and  especially  is 
it  so  to  a  person  brought  up  in  a  civilized  community, 
only  familiar  with  the  reports  of  such  things.  The  age 
of  the  trail,  the  haunts  the  red  men  are  bound  to,  their 
object  in  going  there,  the  numbers  on  the  trail,  and 
the  tribe  or  tribes  to  which  they  belong,  can,  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  be  told  with  the  greatest  accuracy. 


456  ENCAMPED    ON    "FISHER'S    PEAK." 

It  is  by  philosophizing  on  minute  things,  which  in 
ordinary  life  would  be  considered  mere  trifles,  and 
hardly  worth  a  consideration,  that  this  knowledge  is 
arrived  at.  Thus  it  takes  but  a  minimum  amount  of 
wisdom  to  realize  that  a  spear  of  grass,  when  trodden 
upon,  is  usually  crushed  to  the  earth  ;  but  few  reflect 
that  the  attempt  is  made  by  nature  to  restore  the  blade 
to  its  naturally  upright  position,  and  in  doing  so,  re- 
quires a  certain  period  of  time  to  accomplish  the  task. 
This  process,  to  the  trailer,  is  an  index  by  which  he 
judges  the  age  of  the  visit  made  by  the  Indians  to 
that  section  of  country.  The  shape  of  the  sole  of  the 
moccasin,  or  the  carvings  on  arrows  when  they  are 
found,  which  not  unfrequently  happens,  and  many 
other  like  things,  are  sure  signs  in  guiding  the  expe- 
rienced trailer  to  the  particular  party  he  is  seeking. 

Carlton  and  his  men  became  flushed  with  the  pros- 
pects of  success  on  finding  the  main  trail,  and  they 
lost  no  time  in  following  it  up.  For  six  days  they  made 
rapid  progress,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  espied  the 
Indians  encamped  on  {t  Fisher's  Peak "  in  the  Raton 
Mountains.  Although  the  mountain  was  none  the 
easiest  to  climb,  yet  the  soldiers  went  at  its  perform- 
ance with  a  determination  that  brought  them  upon  the 
Indians  before  they  could  collect  their  animals  and  be 
off,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  many  a  brave  war- 
rior then  and  there  drew  his  last  breath.  However, 
the  most  of  the  Indians  ran  away,  but  were  pursued, 
and  a  few  were  overtaken  and  shot. 

The  mountain  on  which  the  Apaches  were  concealed, 
as  described  in  this  adventure  with  them,  is  devoid  of 
trees,  and  hence  is  what,  in  western  language,  is  known 
as  a  "  bald   mountain."     Its  summit  contained  a  dry 


IN    AMBUSH.  457 

basin,  which,  besides  the  open  lookout  that  the  emi- 
nence commanded,  formed  another  inducement  to  these 
Indians  in  selecting  it  for  a  hiding-place.  The  route 
from  New  Mexico  to  the  United  States,  which  we  have 
before  spoken  of  as  the  Bent's  Fort  road,  ran  through, 
or  rather,  close  to,  the  Raton  Mountains.  On  account 
of  its  being  well  timbered,  and  offering  somewhat  of  a 
protection,  this  route  was  often  chosen  late  in  the 
autumn,  and  early  in  the  spring,  as  the  safest  for  cara- 
vans to  travel.  As  a  hunting  district  it  cannot  be  sur- 
passed, especially  in  the  seasons  of  the  year  above 
mentioned,  as  the  game  collects  there  for  shelter  from 
cold  and  storms. 

At  night,  a  squad  of  men  under  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant R.  Johnston,  of  the  First  Regiment  of  United 
States  Dragoons,  secreted  themselves  in  the  camp 
lately  occupied  by  the  Indians,  in  the  expectancy  that 
some  of  them  would  return  to  reconnoitre  and  see 
what  had  been  done  there.  Along  with  this  detach- 
ment, there  was  a  man  belonging  to  the  spy  company 
who  could  counterfeit  the  call  used  by  these  Indians 
when  they  wish  to  find  each  other  and  collect  their 
forces.  At  about  midnight,  when  all  was  still,  this 
peculiar-toned  whistle  was  sounded,  when  lo  and  be- 
hold !  two  warriors  and  two  squaws  came  forth  and 
commenced  groping  about  in  the  darkness.  They  were 
fired  upon,  but  as  no  accurate  aim  could  be  taken,  only 
one  of  the  men  was  mortally  wounded.  There  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  there  were  more  of  these  Indians 
concealed  in  the  neighborhood,  but  the  report  of  the 
rifles  and  the  yells  of  their  exposed  brothers  caused 
them  to  cling  to  their  hiding-places;  and,  as  the 
shades  of  night   advanced,  they  thought  it  was  best 


458  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  APACHES. 

to  be  on  the  move  to  distant  parts.  Hence,  they 
escaped.  The  Apaches,  in  this  affray,  parted  with  forty 
head  of  horses  and  also  their  scanty  allowance  of  camp 
equipage  ;  for,  by  prosecuting  the  war.  they  were  fast 
becoming  poverty  stricken ;  but,  to  do  them  as  much 
harm  as  possible,  all  the  articles  that  could  be  of  any 
service  to  them  were  collected  and  destroyed. 

A  spectator,  not  used  to  seeing  Indians  in  all  phases, 
on  beholding  these  Apaches  in  their  most  nourishing 
condition,  would  at  once  decide  they  had  but  little  else 
to  lose  than  their  bodies,  for  they  usually  have  but  a 
small  quantity  of  clothing  on  them ;  but  this  is  but  an 
instance  where  human  eyes  can  be  easily  deluded.  As 
long  as  he  has  his  rifle,  with  plenty  of  ammunition,  or 
even  when  he  is  reduced  to  his  bow  and  arrows,  the 
Apache  considers  that  he  is  amply  provided  to  carry 
on  war.  Least  of  all  the  Indians  in  the  far  West  does 
this  race  prepare  for  the  future.  When  deprived  of 
his  horse,  which  he  is  ready,  at  a  moment's  warning, 
to  convert  into  food  by  killing,  his  spirits  are  as  buoy- 
ant as  if  he  was  mounted  on  the  fleetest  charger.  He 
is  equally  careless  about  partaking  of  his  last  morsel  of 
nourishment,  although  his  rashness  may  drive  him,  and 
often  does,  to  the  alternative  of  subsisting  on  roots  and 
bark,  or  such  other  articles  as  may  fall  in  his  way. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  that  the  Apache  village 
was  discovered  and  captured,  Kit  Carson  rode  up  to 
his  superior  officer  and  said:  " Major,  if  no  accident 
shall  happen  to  prevent  us,  we  are  certain  to  overtake 
the  Indians  by  two  o'clock  this  afternoon.  The  signs 
are  becoming  so  fresh  that  I  feel  confident  that  I  will 
not  be  mistaken."  Carlton  replied  that  if  his  words 
came  true,  he  would  present  him  with  the  finest  hat 


KIT    CARSON  S    PROPHECY. 


459 


that  could  be  purchased  in  the  United  States.  Strange 
as  it  may  appear,  the  Indians  were  found  at  the  hour 
which  the  guide  had  predicted.  Sometime  afterward, 
as  it  required  quite  a  length  of  time  to  write  and  have 
the  commission  executed,  Kit  Carson  was  presented 
with  a  superb  hat,  in  which  there  was  a  very  appropri- 
ate inscription — viz., 


AT  2  O'CLOCK. 
IK  IT     CAESOIT, 

FROM 

MAJOR  CARLTON. 


This  prophecy  was  not  guess-work.  On  the  contrary. 
it  was  a  matter  of  calculation,  made  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple which  any  experienced  workman  would  adopt,  in 
reference  to  some  undertaking  that  was  within  range 
of  his  calling.  A  few  years  later,  an  officer  who  had 
been  an  eye-witness  of  this  incident,  had  the  opportu- 
nity of  trying  Kit  Carson  a  second  time  on  the  same 
business,  but  Kit  was  not  mistaken.  The  Indians  were 
overtaken  within  five  minutes  from  the  time  he  had 
foretold  they  would  be. 

Major  Carlton,  having  performed  all  that  lay  in  his 
power,  commenced  his  homeward-bound  march.  While 
en  route  he  traveled  by  the  head  waters  of  the  Cana- 
dian River  and  its  tributaries,  and  passed  over  bold 
and  lofty  mountains,  and  through  a  picturesque  coun- 
try. Finally  he  reached  Taos.  His  command  was  in 
a  very  good  condition,  considering  the  hardships  to 
which  it  had  been  exposed. 

Although   we   say,   in  common   parlance,   that   this 

27 


460  RETURN    FROM    AN    INDIAN    CAMPAIGN. 

command  returned  in  good  condition,  yet  it  must  not 
be  presumed  by  this  assertion  that  they  came  back 
making  a  fine  appearance,  like  that  presented  by  sol- 
diers on  a  parade.  When  out  on  these  campaigns,  the 
comfort  of  the  men  is  considered  to  be  of  more  impor- 
tance  than  either  pomp  or  show ;  hence,  those  military 
trappings  which  are  not  particularly  essential  are  left 
behind,  while  there  is  just  enough  uniformity  of  dress 
remaining  to  make  them  recognizable  as  soldiers.  But 
little  luggage  can  be  transported  on  these  trips,  hence 
the  soldiers  are  obliged  to  limit  their  wants  to  actual 
necessity,  which  seldom  amounts  to  more  than  the 
clothes  they  have  on.  When  about  starting  out,  the 
soldiers  bear  the  appearance  of  being  ready  for  hard 
work,  which,  after  finishing,  they  are  glad  to  return, 
even  if  they  present  themselves  at  their  quarters  in 
rags.  It  is  wonderful  what  a  change  in  personal  ap- 
pearance a  few  weeks  can  make  by  traveling  in  the 
mountains.  The  person  thus  exposed  partially  con- 
forms to  the  habits  of  the  wild  Indians,  both  in  appear- 
ance and  mode  of  life.  Such  toilet  articles  as  mirrors 
and  razors,  with  their  paraphernalia,  are  dispensed  with, 
personal  beauty  being  a  thing  the  most  to  be  despised. 
In  lieu  thereof,  robust  health  shows  itself  in  the  cheek, 
the  eye,  and  the  wlrole  economy  of  the  man.  The 
blood  courses  through  his  veins  as  pure  as  the  water 
in  the  mountain  streams  about  him.  By  this  training, 
the  mind  becomes  clear  and  well-balanced,  and  the 
whole  system  reaches  a  condition  which  far  surpasses 
the  finest  constructed  machinery.  This  happy  state 
of  the  body  does  not,  however,  communicate  itself  to 
the  fantastical  appearance  of  the  soldiers  as  they  come 
inarching  along.     Were  they  to  enter  a  town  belong- 


PREPARING    FOR    WAR.  461 

ino1  to  a  civilized  community,  when  arrayed  in  this 
mountain  costume,  they  would  be  at  once  judged  as  a 
band  of  desperadoes. 

On  arriving  at  his  home,  Kit  Carson  resumed  the 
duties  of  his  office  as  Indian  Agent,  which  occupied  his 
time  during  the  remainder  of  the  year.  Soon  after, 
another  expedition  was  organized  and  sent  out  against 
the  Apaches,  but  it  returned  unsuccessful. 

We  have  used  this  word  "organizing"  when  speaking 
of  the  fitting  out  of  various  expeditions  against  the  In- 
dians, and  it  seems  proper  that  here  we  should  give  the 
reader  an  idea  of  what  kind  of  preparation  is  necessary 
to  put  one  of  these  commands  in  proper  trim.  The 
company,  or  companies,  of  soldiers  will  be  first  detailed 
for  the  arduous  duties  of  the  field  to  castigate  the  In- 
dians. This  matter  is  easj^  to  accomplish;  but  the 
next  thing;  to  be  thought  of  is  to  take  care  of  these 
troops,  which  is  not  quite  so  puerile  a  task.  The  quar- 
ter-master estimates  from  the  number  of  the  soldiers  how 
many  mules  will  be  required  to  transport  their  luggage, 
equipments  and  provisions.  This  having  been  deter- 
mined upon,  he  collects  the  animals  and  has  them  pro- 
vided with  pack-saddles.  The  task  of  shoeing  the 
horses  and  mules  is  also  no  easy  matter,  for  they  can- 
not go  until  after  they  have  been  properly  shod.  A 
certain  weight  of  freight  is  assigned  to  each  pack  mule, 
and  a  suitable  number  of  men  are  employed  to  take 
care  of,  load  and  unload  these  animals  when  in  camp. 
When  on  the  march,  these  men  perform  duty  as  driv- 
ers, and  otherwise  look  after  their  charge.  Notwith- 
standing their  proverbial  obstinacy,  these  pack  mules 
quickly  learn  the  labor  which  they  have  to  perform. 
After  finishing  their  usual  day's  work,  they  often  ex- 


462  PACKING   A    TRICKY    MULE. 

hibit  impatience  to  be  relieved  of  their  burdens.  In 
the  morning  they  are  correspondingly  reluctant  about 
being  loaded,  and  by  their  hostile  demonstrations,  they 
plainly  show  their  unwillingness  to  engage  in  further 
labor.  Especially  is  this  true  when,  by  careless  man- 
agement, their  backs  have  become  injured ;  or  when, 
from  the  steadiness  of  pressure  from  the  "  dead  weight  " 
of  their  cargoes,  the  same  result  has  been  brought  about. 
The  Mexicans  understand  the  art  of  packing  animals  to 
perfection  ;  hence  they  are  preferred  before  other  men 
to  serve  in  this  capacity.  It  is  often  a  laughable  scene 
to  witness  a  mule  who  is  used  to  the  business,  having 
his  load  strapped  on  and  otherwise  arranged  in  proper 
place.  The  packer,  with  the  lashing  rope  in  hand,  and 
with  his  foot  braced  against  the  side  of  the  animal,  by 
the  assistance  of  a  kind  of  pulley  arrangement  in  the 
saddle  gearing,  uses  his  utmost  endeavors  to  make 
things  as  firm  as  possible.  Every  effort  which  he  thus 
puts  forth,  is  strenuously  and  obstinately  resisted  by  a 
trick  which  we  will  call  a  straining  process  that  is  re- 
sorted to  by  the  mule.  The  animal  seems  to  know 
when  his  pack  is  securely  and  properly  adjusted ;  for, 
if  it  is  not,  he  is  ready  to  dump  it  on  the  first  oppor- 
tunity occurring.  When  the  mules  are  loaded,  they 
start  out  in  a  drove,  but  are  allowed  to  select  their  own 
path,  provided  they  follow  on  after  the  command.  It 
generally  happens  that  one  of  them  is  more  ambitious 
than  his  companions.  This  one  taking  the  lead,  the 
others  resign  to  him  their  right  to  the  place,  and  are 
content  to  keep  his  company  at  a  respectful  distance  in 
the  rear.  One  of  the  duties  of  the  commissary  de- 
partment in  fitting  out  such  expeditions  is,  to  provide 
a  sufficient   quantity  of  rations  for  the  men,  such  as 


A    COMMISSARY    DEPARTMENT.  463 

beef,  bacon,  beans,  sugar  and  coffee.  These  form  the 
reliable  subsistence  of  the  soldiers  while  absent  from 
their  posts  or  the  settlements.  The  estimate  is  judged 
of  by  the  number  of  days  which  the  expedition  will 
require  to  be  absent,  in  order  to  perform  a  certain 
amount  of  work.  From  this  result  is  calculated  the 
weight  and  number  of  rations  required,  always,  when 
practicable,  allowing  a  small  surplus.  In  this  respect, 
old  and  experienced  soldiers  are  far  superior  to  volun- 
teers. The  former  will  allow  of  no  waste.  They  are 
accustomed  to  be  methodic  in  their  modes  of  life,  while 
the  volunteer  is  usually  ignorant  of  such  teaching ; 
hence  he  is  wanting  in  making  little  things  go  a  great 
way.  While  out  on  one  of  these  campaigns,  it  is  often 
practicable  to  a  certain  extent,  jDrovided  the  undertak- 
ing is  not  a  hotly  contested  chase,  to  drive  along  beef 
cattle,  which  can  be  killed  and  used  at  discretion.  Ba- 
con, however,  is  the  soldier's  sheet  anchor  ;  and  the  va- 
riety of  forms  in  which  he  can  cook  and  prepare  for 
eating  this  article,  while  in  the  field,  would  astonish 
even  a  French  chef  de  cuisine.  It  very  frequently 
happens,  however,  that  in  an  Indian  country,  he  is  not 
allowed  to  exercise  his  talent,  for,  making  large  fires 
might  have  the  effect  of  apprising  the  enemy  of  the 
near  approach  of  danger.  In  such  a  case  he  is  obliged 
to  make  his  coffee  in  a  tin  cup,  over  a  very  small  fire, 
the  fuel  of  which  consists  of  a  handful  of  dry  twigs, 
which  are  carefully  and  cautiously  replenished  as  the 
first  supply  is  consumed.  This  coffee,  together  with 
the  remains  of  his  last  frugal  meal,  serves  to  stay  hi& 
appetite  for  the  time  being,  nolens  volens.  The  organ- 
ization is  said  to  be  complete  and  fit  for  service  when  the- 
soldiers  are  judiciously  provided  with  arms,  ammuni- 


464  THE    REQUIREMENTS    OF    INDIANS. 

tion,  and  riding  horses.  When  a  party  consists  of 
mounted  men,  they  are  also  provided  with  such  other 
articles  as  are  deemed  necessary,  which  are  included, 
usually,  under  the  heading  of  an  outfit  for  the  especial 
business  in  which  the  soldier  is  to  engage. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  Kit  Carson  departed 
from  the  agency,  on  a  visit  to  the  band  of  Utahs,  one  of 
the  tribes  who  were  placed  under  his  special  charge. 
Although,  usually,  he  went  to  their  country  several 
times  in  a  year,  yet,  more  frequently,  these  Indians 
came  to  him  in  order  that  they  might  enjoy  the  hospi- 
tality of  his  house,  and  receive  from  him  presents  of 
tobacco  and  other  little  commodities  which  he  was  al- 
ways sure  to  give  them — articles  which  he  generally 
had  to  pay  for  himself.  In  visiting  them  at  their  home 
on  this  particular  occasion,  Kit  Carson  had  the  double 
object  in  view  of  notifying  them  of  the  moon  when 
they  must  meet  the  superintendent  of  the  Indian  affairs 
of  the  Territory  at  Abiquiu,  a  town  adjacent  to  their 
hunting  grounds,  and  one  which  they  often  frequented, 
and  also,  to  inform  himself  of  the  schemes  which  they 
had  on  foot  and  their  actual  wants,  so  that  he  could  re- 
port to  the  proper  authorities  the  necessary  articles  of 
which  they  stood  most  in  need.  To  define  the  actual 
wants  and  requirements  of  Indians,  is  a  subject  which 
has  puzzled  many  a  person  who  has  endeavored  thor- 
oughly to  investigate  their  character,  and  who  has  un- 
derstood their  mode  of  life.  If  the  question  was  left  to 
themselves,  it  would  be  readily  settled ;  for,  they  desire 
to  possess  everything  which  in  the  least  pleases  their 
active  fancy ;  and,  so  extensive  are  their  demands  in 
this  respect,  that  they  know  no  limit,  provided  their 
own  inclinations  are  consulted.     By  some,  it  is  sup- 


A   MISTAKEN    POLICY.  465 

posed  that  the  presents  of  blankets  and  trinkets  which 
they  annually  receive  from  government,  are  more  than 
sufficient  rewards  for  depriving  them  of  parts  of  their 
country.  Others  there  are  who  charitably  add  to  these 
things,  presents  of  weapons  and  ammunition,  arguing 
that  thus  they  can  kill  their  game,  and  gain  their  own 
subsistence  without  resorting  to  plunder ;  but  alas ! 
this  latter  argument  is  not  found,  in  the  majority  of 
instances,  to  be  the  peaceful  manner  in  which  they  em- 
ploy these  gifts.  Very  often  the  weapons  which  they 
have  but  recently  received,  are  turned  upon  their  do- 
nors with  a  view  of  destroying  them.  The  reasoning  of 
the  Indian  in  regard  to  these  presents  is  perhaps  right 
and  just,  yet  it  is  by  no  means  pleasing  to  the  exposed 
frontiersman.  The  Indian  argues  that  these  gifts  are 
but  rights  which  he  is  forced  to  receive  in  lieu  of  his 
hunting  grounds,  with  which  he  is  very  loth  to  part, 
no  matter  what  be  the  terms  or  consideration  offered. 
The  inference  which  he  draws  is,  that  he  can  use  these 
presents  as  he  pleases.  Money,  in  the  hands  of  wild 
Indians,  is  almost  worthless  to  them,  and  paying  it  for 
their  lands  by  way  of  annuity,  is  extreme  folly.  Some 
of  them  in  time,  as  they  have  become  half  civilized, 
begin  to  appreciate  the  value  of  money.  Such,  only, 
should  be  allowed  to  receive  or  accept  it.  They  some- 
times desire  it  by  way  of  ornament.  Then  by  the  usual 
means  of  exchanging  property,  they  know  how,  easily, 
to  obtain  it.  Every  tribe  has  its  own  peculiarities  in 
respect  to  its  wants,  and  the  best  judge  of  these  is  the 
agent,  who  should  be  first  chosen  for  his  honor,  integ- 
rity and  skill,  and  then  allowed  a  large  discretion  in 
his  decisions. 

The  distance  to  be  traveled  over  while  on  this  duty 


466      A  GRAND  COUNCIL  WITH  THE  UTAHS. 

was  in  the  vicinity  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and 
was  performed,  like  all  of  Kit's  previous  journeys,  on 
horseback.  Indeed,  there  are  but  few  men,  living  or 
dead,  who  have  ridden  in  the  saddle  over  as  much 
territory  as  the  man  we  write  of.  On  his  way  to  the 
Utah  village,  Kit  accidentally  fell  in  with  the  Apaches  j 
but  as  he  was  constantly  on  the  lookout,  and  therefore 
first  in  making  the  discovery,  he  lost  no  time  in  effect- 
ing his  escape  from  them,  by  changing  his  course.  He 
thus  was  able  to  pass  around  them  in  perfect  safety. 
Kit  Carson  met  with  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  Utahs, 
among  whom  he  spent  two  days,  investigating  their 
affairs.  Just  before  parting  with  them,  he  left  direc- 
tions for  them  to  be  at  the  council  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed, which  was  in  the  new  moon  of  October.  Not- 
withstanding his  path  was  beset  with  the  same  perils 
that  existed  on  his  outward  journey,  yet  by  careful 
traveling  he  surmounted  them  all,  and  arrived  at  his 
home  safe  and  sound.  Little  or  nothing  worth  noting 
transpired  until  the  time  arrived  for  him  to  set  out  for 
Abiquiu,  where  all  parties  soon  assembled  in  grand 
council  and  proceeded  to  business.  Speeches  were  made 
by  the  superintendent,  by  Kit  Carson,  and  also  by  the 
head  chiefs.  After  these  interesting  proceedings  were 
gone  through  with,  the  annuities,  to  which  the  band 
were  entitled  according  to  their  treaty,  were  presented 
to  them,  which  they  received  with  outward  signs  of 
friendship,  though  the  knowing  ones  who  were  on  the 
ground  could  see,  lurking  beneath  that  stoic  appearance 
which  a  savage  usually  assumes  when  facing  his  white 
brother,  that  the  red  men  were  not  entirely  satisfied 
with  past  events.  However,  every  means  had  been 
employed  to  pacify  the  band,  who,  on  first  coming  into 


A  CASE  OF  TOTAL  DEPRAVITY.         467 

the  council,  had  succeeded  in  showing  that  they  had 
been  greatly  outraged  and  injured,  and  that  they  had 
sufficient  cause  for  resentment.  The  following  circum- 
stances will  show  the  truth  of  this. 

Just  previous  to  the  holding  of  this  council,  one  of 
the  warriors  who  was  much  esteemed  by  his  tribe,  had 
been  waylaid  and  murdered  by  a  small  party  of  Mexi- 
cans. The  only  excuse  offered  by  the  latter  for  com- 
mitting this  bloody  deed  was,  that  they  wished  to 
deprive  the  warrior  of  an  old  coat,  which,  by  some 
means,  had  come  into  hte  possession. 

The  killing  of  a  human  being  to  deprive  him  of  a 
garment  which  was  almost  worthless,  is  perfectly  char- 
acteristic of  the  depravity  exhibited  by  the  lower  classes 
of  Mexicans.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  these  people  love 
to  steal  trifling  articles,  or  sums  of  money.  We  remem- 
ber two  instances  where  this  trait  is  singularly  illustrated. 
An  American,  on  one  occasion,  left  on  a  table,  in  his  log 
house,  a  large  sum  of  money  in  gold.  He  sent  a  Mex- 
ican into  this  room  to  bring  him  something  which  he 
wanted,  but  the  man  returned  saying  he  could  not  find 
it.  The  American  now  went  himself  to  look  for  the 
article,  and,  while  in  the  house,  recounted  his  money, 
and  found  one  of  the  smallest  coins  missing.  He  at 
once  called  the  thief  and  charged  him  with  the  crime. 
Thet Mexican  knew  this  American  to  be  a  very  resolute 
man ;  when,  therefore,  he  heard  him  threaten  him  with 
severe  and  summary  punishment  if  he  did  not  at  once 
produce  the  money,  he  knew  there  was  no  escape,  and 
accordingly  drew  from  its  hiding-place,  on  his  person, 
the  missing  coin,  and  restored  it  to  its  owner.  The 
American,  being  used  to  such  every-day  occurrences, 
passed  by   the   affair  without  further  notice.     In  the 


468  THIEVING   MEXICAN'S. 

other  instance,  an  American  was  traveling  and  had 
occasion  to  stop  at  a  Mexican's  house  during  the  night. 
On  going  to  pay  his  bill  for  his  lodging,  in  the  morning, 
he  noticed  that  two  pieces  of  his  money  had  been  ab- 
stracted while  he  was  sleeping.  These  coins  had  been 
taken,  one  from  either  end  of  his  purse.  This  was  what 
drew  his  attention  to  the  fact  of  his  having  been  robbed. 
The  host  was  informed  of  what  had  happened,  and  at 
once  proceeded  to  restore  the  missing  money.  He 
called  his  son  to  him,  a  boy  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
after  threatening  a  good  deal,  he  made  the  lad  take  his 
choice  between  owning  the  theft,  or  submitting  to  the 
risk  of  being  discovered  by  a  search  of  his  person  for  the 
missing  coins.  This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  at  once 
the  stolen  property  was  returned  to  its  rightful  owner. 

Both  of  these  facts  are  simple,  and,  perhaps,  uninter- 
esting ;  but  they  serve  to  exhibit  a  characteristic  of 
the  lower  classes  of  Mexicans.  Doubtless,  such  paltry 
thieving  is  the  result  of  a  want  of  animal  courage, 
easily  discernible  by  the  close  observer  of  the  Mexican 
race.  Of  course  there  are  many  exceptions  to  this 
statement. 

The  white  men  interested  in  the  council  had  their 
hands  full,  in  their  endeavors  to  smooth  over  this 
affair,  for  the  Indians  were  much  dissatisfied  with  such 
treatment.  At  first  they  demanded  that  reparation 
should  be  made  them,  by  their  agents  giving  them  a 
certain  number  of  horses.  The  Superintendent  ex- 
plained to  them  that  he  had  not  the  power  to  do  this, 
.but  he  assured  them  that  the  murderers  should  be 
arrested  and  dealt  with  according  to  law.  The  In- 
dians willingly  received  this  promise,  but  seemed  to 
feel,  as  finally  was  the  fact,  that  they  were  doomed  to 


SMALL-POX    AMONG    THE    INDIANS.  469 

be  disappointed  as  far  as  the  punishment  was  concerned. 
It  afterwards  happened  that  only  one  of  the  murderers 
was  apprehended,  and  in  a  very  short  time  after  he  was 
locked  up  as  a  prisoner,  he  succeeded  in  making  his  es- 
cape and  was  never  retaken.  This  was  all  that  was 
ever  done  by  those  in  authority  to  render  the  justice 
that  had  been  agreed  upon  and  which  was  richly  due  to 
the  Indians.  After  quitting  the  council,  and  while  on 
their  way  back  to  their  hunting-ground,  the  small-pox 
broke  out  among  the  red  men,  and  carried  off,  in  its 
ravages,  the  leading  men  of  this  band  of  Muache  Utahs. 
On  the  first  appearance  of  this  trouble  the  Indians  held 
a  council  among  themselves,  and  decided  that  the  Su- 
perintendent was  the  cause  of  the  pestilence  that  had 
visited  them.  They  also  decided  that  he  had  collected 
them  together  in  order  thus  to  injure  them,  and  to  fur- 
ther his  designs  he  had  presented  to  each  of  their  dis- 
tinguished warriors  a  blanket-coat.  They  found  that 
nearly  every  Indian  who  had  accepted  and  worn  this 
article  had  died. 

It  so  happened  that  the  writer,  several  years  after 
these  events  occurred,  visited  the  camp  where  this  pes- 
tilence reigned  in  its  full  vigor.  The  site  of  this  camp 
was  very  beautiful.  Perhaps  it  was  this,  aided  by  other 
circumstances,  which  caused  the  red  men  to  select  it  as 
a  refuge  for  their  sick.  The  place  is  located  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Valley  of  San  Luis,  and  is  about  mid- 
way between  its  upper  and  lower  extremes.  Two 
mountain  streams  have  so  joined  as  to  form  a  penin- 
sula of  table-land,  which  is  well  shaded  by  cotton-wood 
trees.  This  ground,  when  the  writer  saw  it,  was  liter- 
ally strewn  with  the  bleached  bones  of  the  Indian  vic- 
tims who  had  died  from  the  scourge.     As  we  lifted  up 


470  THE  PLACE  OF  DRY  BONES. 

one  skull  and  another,  the  thought  struck  us  that,  per- 
haps, we  might  have  touched  the  bones  which  once 
belonged  to  the  famous  chief,  Chico  Velasques,  of 
whom  we  have  before  spoken,  as  it  was  here  that  he 
died.  Had  we  done  so  knowingly,  on  account  of  that 
man's  many  cruel  deeds,  a  thrill  of  horror  must  have 
run  through  our  veins.  The  funeral  rites  of  the  dead 
among  the  Indians  were  clearly  exemplified  here. 

Whatever  may  be  these  rites  observed  among  the 
Indians  on  the  west  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  I  am 
satisfied  that  most  of  the  tribes  of  Indians  on  the  east 
side  of  this  same  range  use  but  few,  if  any,  imposing 
ceremonies  in  committing  the  body  to  the  dust.  It  is 
very  difficult  to  find  the  bones  of  an  Indian  on  the 
plains,  and  therefore,  I  believe,  and  herein  I  am  assisted 
by  the  observations  of  experienced  men,  that  these  In- 
dians burn  their  dead  bodies  when  they  can  do  so,  or 
completely  hide  them  in  the  mountains  by  covering 
them  with  rocks,  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  find  them. 
Such  a  course  would  also  serve  the  purpose  of  prevent- 
ing the  wolves  from  digging  them  up.  The  high-col- 
ored novels,  referred  to  heretofore,  which  have,  during 
the  past  few  years,  had  for  their  theme  the  Indian  race, 
love  to  dwell  on  the  imposing  and  affecting  spectacle  of 
an  Indian  burial.  When  stripped  of  fancy,  the  truth 
is,  that  beyond  the  lamenting  of  a  few  hysterical  squaws 
and  the  crackling  of  the  flames  of  the  funeral  pile,  there 
is  little  else  done  that  is  noticeable. 

But  to  return  to  the  results  of  the  council.  The  In- 
dians, naturally  enough,  argued  and  persuaded  them- 
selves that  these  presents  were  intended  as  poisonous 
destroyers,  and  that  they  had  been  steeped  in  conta- 
gion for  that  end.    It  wanted  but  the  happening  of  this 


SECRETLY  PREPARING  FOR  WAR.        471 

affair,  or  a  similar  one,  to  destroy  the  small  amount  of 
confidence  which  the  Superintendent  had  hitherto  en- 
joyed with  these  savages.  While  they  were  secretly 
preparing  for  war,  they  anxiously  inquired  of  the 
traders  who  came  among  them,  what  was  transpiring 
in  regard  to  the  Mexican  prisoners  who  had  wantonly 
murdered  their  brave.  On  each  separate  occasion 
they  were  answered  with  intelligence  that  did  not 
in  the  least  satisfy  them.  They  therefore  renewed 
their  energies,  in  order  soon  to  be  ready  to  take  the 
redress  in  their  own  hands.  Kit  Carson  apprehended 
difficulty,  even  at  the  council ;  but,  after  it  broke  up, 
he  was  early  apprised  of  the  trouble  which  was  brewing, 
and,  to  prevent  any  outbreak,  he  brought  all  his  Indian 
experience  to  bear  upon  the  task.  In  him  they  said 
that  they  knew  they  had  a  true  friend ;  but,  their  na- 
tion had  received  too  many  wrongs  to  allow  any  more 
to  be  thrust  upon  them  without  showing  to  the  world 
that  they  were  worthy  of  the  names  which  their  fathers 
had  given  to  them. 


472  A   FORMIDABLE    INDIAN   WAR. 


CHAPTEE   XVII. 

The  Commencement  of  a  Formidable  Indian  War — High-handed  Measures 
on  the  Part  of  the  Indians — The  Governor  of  New  Mexico  raises  Five 
Hundred  Mexican  Volunteers  and  places  them  under  the  Command  of 
Colonel  St.  Vrain — Colonel  Fauntleroy  placed  in  Command  of  all  the 
Forces — Kit  Carson  is  chosen  as  Chief  Guide — The  Campaign  Com- 
menced— The  Trail  Found — The  Indians  are  met  and  the  first  Fight 
»nd  its  Consequences — An  Excitement  in  Camp — The  Indians  again 
Overtaken — The  Return  to  Fort  Massachusetts — Intense  Cold  Weather 
experienced — The  Second  Campaign — Colonel  Fauntleroy  Surprises 
the  Main  Camp  of  the  Enemy — The  Scalp  Dance  Broken  Up — Terrible 
Slaughter  of  the  Indians — The  Great  Amount  of  Pluuder  Taken  and 
Destroyed — Another  Small  Party  of  Indians  Surprised  and  Routed — 
St.  Vrain  equally  fortunate  in  his  Campaign — The  Indians  Sue  for 
Peace — The  Council  held  and  Treaties  signed — Kit  Carson  opposes 
the  making  of  them — The  poor  Protection  Indian  Treaties  usually 
afford  to  Settlers — Kit  Carson's  House  at  Taos  and  his  Indian  Friends 
— His  Attachment  for  his  Family  put  to  the  Test — Cowardice  of  a 
Mexican — Kit  Carson's  Friends  as  they  looked  upon  him — His  Influ- 
ence over  Indians. 

The  Muache  band  of  Utahs,  under  their  renowned 
Chief,  Blanco,  after  trading  for  all  the  powder  and 
lead  which  they  required,  joined  the  Apaches  and  com- 
menced  the  war  in  earnest.  They  waylaid  and  mur- 
dered travelers  on  the  roads,  attacked  towns,  killed  and 
made  prisoners  the  people  who  inhabited  them,  and 
became  so  formidable  that  for  a  length  of  time  every- 
thing was  at  their  mercy.  They  lost  no  opportunity 
in  showing  their  power  and  in  possessing  themselves 
of  the  finest  herds  of  horses,  mules,  cattle  and  sheep 
within  their  reach. 


THE    ELNOWXED    CHIEF,   BLANCO.  473 

This  Chief,  Blanco,  was  a  man  who  stood  in  his  moc- 
casins about  five  feet  nine  inches.  He  was  rather 
thickset,  but,  to  use  an  Indian  phrase,  as  straight  as  an 
arrow.  The  chief  attraction  about  this  Indian  was  his 
head,  which  was  finely  developed.  His  lustrous  black 
eye,  filled  with  animation,  showed  an  active  brain, 
which,  unfortunately,  was  turned  to  bad  account.  His 
forehead  was  lofty,  yet  was  symmetrically  chiseled,  and 
every  feature  about  his  face  was  as  regular  as  if  it  had 
been  carved  for  sculptured  perfection.  Blanco  was  a 
man  who,  in  any  sphere  of  life,  would  have  become 
most  certainly  distinguished  ;  and,  under  the  influence 
of  education,  he  might  have  risen  even  to  greatness. 
In  his  unreclaimed  state  he  showed  to  a  decided  disad- 
vantage. 

It  is  within  my  province  fully  to  attest  to  the  earnest- 
ness, the  savageness  and  the  brutality,  with  which  these 
Indians  commenced  this  contest.  I  was  then  stationed 
in  their  country  and  came  very  near  being  one  of  their 
first  victims.  The  circumstances  of  this  narrow  escape 
happened  as  follows:  For  a  considerable  length  of 
time,  the  post  to  which  I  was  then  attached  was  kept 
in  a  constant  state  of  excitement  by  receiving  authentic 
accounts,  daily,  of  murders  and  robberies  committed 
by  the  Indians.  While  these  events  were  transpiring, 
the  officers  and  soldiers  were  anxious  to  take  the  field 
in  order  that  they  might  punish  the  perpetrators  of 
the  crimes  ;  but  as  the  force  of  the  Indians  was,  numer- 
ically speaking,  very  strong,  therefore  it  required,  in 
order  to  insure  success,  a  well  organized  command  to 
match  them  and  checkmate  their  plans  at  once.  It 
required  time  and  much  labor  for  the  officers  in  charge 
of  the  military  district  to  arrange  and   complete   their 


474  AN    EXCITING   ADVENTURE. 

plans.  Every  man  who  left  our  post  ran  the  risk  of 
losing  his  life ;  for  the  enemy  kept  an  eye  on  the  road 
which  led  away  from  it  to  the  principal  towns  of  New 
Mexico,  as  often  there  was  rich  booty  for  them  to 
obtain  passing  over  it.  Notwithstanding  this  critical 
state  of  affairs,  express  duty  had  to  be  performed,  and 
it  required  brave  men  for  the  task.  There  were  pres- 
ent, however,  those  who  stood  ready  to  volunteer  to 
execute  all  express  orders.  Before  proceeding  with 
our  own  case,  we  will  illustrate  these  critical  times. 
It  was  necessary  to  dispatch  an  expressman  to  Fort 
Union.  This  post,  from  Fort  Massachusetts,  was  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant.  The  ever  faithful 
Mexican,  Armador  Sanchez,  was  then  attached  to  Fort 
Massachusetts  as  a  hunter  and  interpreter.  On  account 
of  extensive  experience  with  the  habits  and  customs 
of  the  hostile  Indians,  Armador  was  selected  to  per- 
form this  dangerous  mission.  In  his  usually  quiet 
manner,  this  noble  hunter  soon  prepared  himself  for 
the  undertaking.  By  using  every  precaution,  he 
reached  his  point  of  destination  in  safety.  Having  fin- 
ished up  his  business,  he  instantly  began  his  homeward- 
bound  journey.  While  on  the  rough  trail  which  leads 
from  Fort  Union  to  Taos,  he  came  near  being  surprised 
and  captured  by  the  enemy,  under  the  following  cir- 
cumstances. Armador  had  selected  the  night  as  the 
safest  time  to  travel ;  and,  as  it  was  quite  dark,  in  order 
to  pick  out  his  way  and  prevent  his  growing  sleepy 
by  riding,  he  traveled  on  foot  and  led  his  animal.  He 
had  made  good  progress  on  his  journey  when,  suddenly, 
his  hunter-trained  ear  detected  a  noise  on  ahead  of 
him,  which  sounded  like  the  rolling  of  stones  down  the 
side  of  the  hills  over  which  the  trail  ran.     He  stopped 


A  MOUNTAIN   GORGE. 


A    CRITICAL    MOMENT.  475 

and  listened  more  attentively.  This  time  he  was  cer- 
tain that  he  was  not  deceived,  and  thought  that  he 
could  hear  voices  singing  Indian  war  songs.  This  was 
convincing  proof  to  him  that  danger  was  near  at  hand  ; 
therefore  he  turned  off  from  the  trail  and  led  his  animal 
as  high  up  the  steep  hill  as  he  could,  where,  fortunately, 
he  found  sufficient  underbrush,  aided  by  the  darkness 
of  the  night,  to  conceal  himself  from  view.  Hardly 
had  he  taken  up  this  position  when  the  noises  suddenly 
became  very  distinct.  The  Indians,  while  following 
the  trail,  had  made  a  turn  round  a  bluff  and  were  almost 
beneath  him.  Now  the  hunter  felt  his  situation  to  be 
most  precarious,  for,  should  his  mule  bray,  as  these 
animals  are  apt  to  do  when  others  are  approaching,  his 
own  life  would  have  to  pay  the  forfeit ;  but,  to  prevent 
this,  Armador  held  the  mule's  nostrils  firmly  with  his 
hands,  and  otherwise  drew  off  the  animal's  attention 
by  various  gentle  manipulations  bestowed  upon  him. 
He  saw  the  outlines  of  the  Indians  as  they  passed 
along  in  single  file  beneath  him,  and  estimated  them  to 
be  at  least  twenty  strong.  Had  these  savages  known 
that  a  victim  was  so  close  by,  they  would  have  made 
short  work  of  him ;  but,  before  they  could  have  killed 
him,  it  is  safe  to  affirm  that  Armador  Sanchez  would 
have  had  a  companion  with  whom  to  draw  his  last 
breath.  Fortunately  affairs  took  a  better  turn,  and 
the  expressman  finished  his  journey  without  further 
trouble. 

To  return  to  my  own  case — I  was  obliged  to  visit 
Taos.  As  an  escort,  I  was  allowed  one  faithful  and 
brave  soldier.  We  traveled  together  over  the  first  half 
of  our  journey,  and  as  we  had  considered,  far  the  most 
dangerous   part,   in    perfect  safety.     At    the   Mexican 

28 


476  SUSPICIOUS    CIRCUMSTANCES. 

town  of  Costillo,  after  our  day's  ride,  we  rested  for  the 
night.  Our  fears  of  meeting  Indians  were  now  almost 
dispelled  ;  but  still,  we  took  the  precaution  to  question 
the  Mexicans  of  the  town  in  regard  to  their  knowledge 
of  their  whereabouts.  In  reply  we  were  invariably  an- 
swered that  no  fresh  signs  had  been  discovered  and  that 
intercourse  was  both  safe  and  free  for  the  remainder  of 
our  route.  By  the  first  appearance  of  daylight  on  the 
following  morning  we  were  up  and  preparing  for  our 
journey,  and  but  a  little  time  elapsed  before  we  were 
leisurely  traveling  along  on  the  main  road.  We  had 
left  the  town  but  a  few  miles  behind  us,  when  the  morn- 
ing sun  began  to  make  its  appearance  in  all  his  splen- 
dor. The  country  through  wThich  we  were  journeying 
was  prairie  land,  and  was  bounded  on  either  side  by 
lofty  and  picturesque  mountains,  and  the  distance  of  the 
one  range  from  the  other  was  considerable,  but  yet 
could  fully  be  taken  in  by  the  eye  almost  at  a  single 
view.  As  we  rode  along,  we  were  amusing  ourselves 
admiring  the  beauty  of  the  morning,  and  especially  di- 
rected our  attention  to  the  rising;  of  the  sun.  All  at 
once,  just  as  we  had  reached  a  high  plateau  of  land,  the 
soldier  made  the  discovery  of  a  flock  of  sheep  at  a  great 
distance  off  on  the  prairie.  They  appeared  to  be  mov- 
ing under  rather  suspicious  circumstances.  We  reined 
up  our  horses,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  better  ob- 
servation. What  puzzled  us,  was  the  dim  figures  of, 
apparently,  mounted  men,  who  were  moving  at  great 
speed  from  one  point  of  the  band  of  sheep  to  another, 
as  if  hurrying  them  along.  After  taking  a  searching 
look,  we  concluded  that  the  horsemen  which  we  saw 
were  hostile  Indians,  as  we  had  not  been  accustomed  to 
see  Mexican  herders  mounted  and  acting  so  strangely. 


THE    AUTHOR    IN    A    FIX.  477 

The  herders,  near  the  towns  in  New  Mexico,  are  usu- 
ally small  boys,  who  are  under  the  surveillance  of  one 
or  two  men  stationed  near  by.  When  the  Apaches  and 
Utahs  steal  these  herds,  they  always  take  the  young 
herders  along,  in  order  to  look  after  the  property  in 
their  mountain  retreats.  They  rarely  mortally  injure 
these  boys,  for  they  say  that  it  is  against  their  own  in- 
terest to  do  so ;  but  instead,  they  prefer  to  save  their 
lives,  so  that  they  may  be  useful  in  guarding  other 
flocks  which,  perchance,  may  fall  into  their  hands.  Most 
of  these  youthful  prisoners  in  time  make  their  escape ; 
and,  after  a  series  of  hardships,  return  safe  to  their 
homes.  Many  Mexicans  can  give  such  adventures  of 
their  early  experience,  but  scarcely  one  of  them  can  re- 
call a  single  kind  act  shown  them  by  their  captors,  save 
the  mere  sparing  of  their  lives. 

As  we  were  viewing  the  herd,  we  thought  that  we 
noticed  the  figures  of  the  horsemen  throwing  them- 
selves from  one  side  to  the  other  of  their  horses,  as  if 
very  busily  employed  in  frightening  the  sheep.  We 
now  held  a  council,  and  decided  that  our  best  policy 
was  to  quit  the  main  road,  as  it  was  crooked,  and  make 
a  straight  march  across  the  prairies  for  the  town  of  Red 
River,  which  was  located  about  twenty  miles  in  our  ad- 
vance. It  was  our  opinion,  which  afterwards  proved  to 
be  correct,  that,  if  the  Indians  were  stealing  the  stock 
belonging  to  the  town  of  Costillo,  they  were  also  en- 
gaged in  attacking  the  place  itself.  For,  while  a  strong 
party  were  engaged  in  drawing  off  the  attention  of  the 
people,  another  would  be  driving  off  the  cattle,  sheep, 
etc.  To  return,  therefore,  would  be  almost  certain 
death  ;  so,  at  a  full  gallop,  we  commenced  our  direct 
course.     As  the  sage  bushes  were  thick  and  high  and 


478  IMITATING    THE    BUFFALO. 

the  ground  much  broken  by  various  kinds  of  holes,  we 
soon  found  that  we  had  our  hands  full  in  managing  our 
horses.  We  had  hardly  started  afresh  before  our  eyes 
were  attracted  to  one  side  of  us  ;  and  in  the  direction 
of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  which  runs  through  the  valley, 
saw,  what  we  at  first  considered  to  be,  antelope.  As 
we  watched  closely  these  supposed  antelope,  we  re- 
marked that  they  kept  in  Indian  file,  and  that  the 
course  they  were  on  would  diagonally  intercept  our 
own  point  of  the  compass.  We  began  now  to  suspect 
that  the  white  appearance  assumed  by  these  objects 
was  owing  to  the  strong  sunlight  which  dazzled  our 
eyesight,  and  struck  on  the  dressed  side  of  buffalo  robes 
and  that  in  these  robes  were  concealed  human  beings 
who  had  formed  the  determination  to  have  our  scalps. 
During  the  cold  weather,  most  of  the  Indians  who 
dwell  in  the  country  adjacent  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  especially  those  living  on  the  eastern  side  of  them, 
wear  buffalo  robes  with  the  fur  next  to  their  bodies. 
These  robes  serve  the  double  purpose  of  shirts  or  coats, 
and  a  covering  by  night.  The  wearers  make  them  fast 
around  the  waist,  and,  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  they  are 
allowed  to  fold  over  and  hang  down ;  but,  as  the  cool 
air  of  the  evening  comes  on,  they  are  wrapped  around 
the  head  and  body,  something  after  the  Spanish  fashion 
of  wearing  a  cloak.  The  Indians,  frequently,  for  the 
purpose  of  decoying  their  enemies  into  battle,  go  out 
on  the  prairies,  and  by  turning  the  fur  side  of  these 
robes  out,  and  covering  their  persons,  having  previously 
assumed  a  half-bent  position,  imitate  the  Simon  Pure 
buffalo  while  in  the  act  of  grazing.  In  order  to  keep 
up  the  ruse,  they  move  about  with  a  rocking  motion. 
When  taken  for  the  buffalo,  which  frequently  happens, 


A    RIDE    FOR    LIFE.  479 

they  are  enabled  to  gain  an  advantage  in  approaching 
a  party  or  village  which  they  wish  to  attack.  The 
Cheyenne  Indians  are  very  partial  to  loose  sack-coats 
which  are  made  out  of  white  blankets.  To  these  coats 
a  hood  is  attached,  which  is  thrown  over  the  head  at 
the  wearer's  pleasure.  In  addition  to  this,  during  the 
winter  season,  they  also  resort  to  the  buffalo  robe. 
The  squaws  of  the  various  tribes  of  Indians  on  the 
plains  are  well  versed  in  the  art  of  tanning  and  dress- 
ing buffalo  hides.  They  frequently  ornament  them 
with  beads,  porcupine  quills  and  rude  paintings.  In 
times  long  since  gone  by,  these  robes  could  be  pur- 
chased, or  rather  traded  for,  at  good  bargains ;  but  the 
unlimited  and  increasing  demand  for  them  has  greatly 
enhanced  their  value.  Nowadays  they  bring  standard 
prices. 

Being  satisfied  that  the  Indians  were  in  pursuit  of  us, 
we  carefully  guided  our  horses,  at  the  same  time  using 
our  spurs  freely  and  keeping  them  at  their  maximum 
speed.  As  the  Indians  drew  nearer,  we  could  see  dis- 
tinctly that  they  were  urging  on  their  animals.  Our 
safety,  therefore,  depended  entirely  on  outriding  them. 
The  race  became  most  exciting,  and  demanded  the 
greatest  caution,  for  we  well  knew,  that  one  misstep 
made  by  either  of  our  horses,  would  prove  fatal  to  the 
rider.  We  had  decided,  on  commencing  the  race,  that 
neither  of  us  should  fire  a  shot  except  as  a  last  resort, 
and  that  we  should  do  it  only  on  the  principle  of  man 
for  man.  While  putting  our  horses  to  their  speed,  our 
weapons  were  held  in  our  hands  and  kept  ready  for  in- 
stant service.  The  most  dangerous  point  was  that  at 
which  the  two  trails  would  inevitably  intersect.  To 
gain  this  place  in  advance  of  our  savage  enemies,  all 


480  A    NARROW    ESCAPE. 

our  hopes  now  centered.  For  twelve  miles  we  dashed 
along,  laboring  under  a  state  of  suspense  not  to  be  eas- 
ily forgotten.  When,  at  last,  we  arrived  at  the  desired 
point,  we  were  only  about  two  hundred  yards  in  the  ad- 
vance of  our  savage  pursuers ;  still,  we  felt  that  our 
lives,  for  the  time  being,  were  saved,  and  accordingly 
breathed  a  prayer  to  the  Almighty  in  thanks  for  our 
deliverance  thus  far.  The  pace  now  became  tremen- 
dous ;  and  here  our  grain-fed  horses  proved  to  be  too 
much  (and  their  powers  of  endurance  were  fully  put  to 
the  test)  for  the  grass-fed  ponies  of  the  Indians.  After 
a  short  run,  the  savages  saw  that  the  advantage  be- 
longed to  us,  consequently  soon  after  they  halted. 
We,  however,  kept  steadily,  but  with  slackened  speed, 
on  our  course,  fearing  that  some  accident  might  change 
the  happy  turn  of  affairs  in  their  favor.  On  finding 
themselves  thwarted  in  their  desigii3,  the  Indians  fired 
two  or  three  shots  at  us,  but  even  these  final  compli- 
ments did  not,  to  use  nautical  phraseology,  make  us 
"heave  to."  We  reached  the  settlement  of  the  Red 
River  in  good  season,  and  concluded  that  we  had  trav- 
eled the  distance  in  about  as  brief  a  space  of  time  as 
it  ever  had  been  accomplished,  either  before  or  since 
our  adventure.  Our  horses  were  so  used  up  by  this 
race  that  we  were  obliged  to  change  them  for  fresh 
ones,  on  which  we  finished  our  journey  without  further 
annoyance.  The  Indians,  in  this  incursion,  stole  five 
thousand  sheep,  besides  other  property  from  the  Cos- 
tillo,  and  killed  two  men  who  were  traveling  behind 
lis  and  on  the  same  road.  When  the  bodies  of  these 
men  were  discovered,  one  of  them  had  a  mouthful  of 
bullets,  which  he  had  evidently  put  there  in  order  that 
he  might  drop  them  into  his  rifle  as  he  should  require 


THE  RESULTS  OF  MISMANAGEMENT.       481 

them,  and  not  be  obliged  to  be  delayed  in  taking  them 
from  his  ammunition  pouch ;  but,  evidently,  before  he 
could  have  used  more  than  one  from  this  supply,  he 
was  shot  dead. 

It  cannot  be  denied  but  that  this  outbreak  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians,  and  its  subsequent  outrages,  was 
the  result  of  mismanagement ;  and  it  is  but  justice  to 
the  reputation  of  Kit  Carson  to  assert  that  it  was  no 
fault  of  his  that  affairs  had  terminated  so  disastrously. 
He  had  used  every  means  which  human  skill  could  de- 
vise to  allay  the  anger  of  the  Indians.  Had  his  supe- 
riors in  power  acted  with  the  same  discretion  and  judg- 
ment, in  all  probability  the  Utahs  might  have  been 
kept  at  peace.  It  is  wonderfully  strange  that  our  gov- 
ernment will  persist  in  placing  at  the  head  of  Indian 
affairs  men  who  are  not  practically  acquainted  with 
Indian  habits,  which  can  only  be  learned  by  a  long  life 
passed  upon  the  frontiers.  If  it  was  a  matter  where 
dollars  and  cents  alone  were  to  be  estimated,  it  might 
be  different ;  but  where  valuable  lives  are  legitimately 
exposed,  it  seems  to  us  morally  wrong  to  give  the  con- 
trol of  tribes  of  wild  men  to  jDoliticians,  who  are  liable 
to  make  all  kinds  of  mistakes,  and  in  whom  the  Indians 
will  not  repose  the  least  confidence.  It  is  because  such 
appointments  are  made  that,  in  a  great  measure,  the 
troubles  with  these  border  Indians  arise  ;  and  many  is 
the  section  of  country  in  western  America,  where  ap- 
parently the  reward  for  taking  a  white  man's  scalp  is  a 
blazing  red  or  sky-blue  blanket,  which  is  paid  under 
the  plea  of  keeping  the  peace.  This,  too,  when  effi- 
cient means  and  decided  measures  are  the  only  hopes 
of  a  lasting  peace. 

While  engaged  in  our  travels  through  the  far  West, 


482  A    MERE    BOY,  AS    INDIAN    AGENT. 

we  remember  to  have  met  with  an  Indian  agent  who 
was,  both  in  years  and  experience,  but  a  mere  boy. 
To  him  had  been  entrusted  the  affairs  of  a  large  tribe, 
notorious  in  the  country  where  they  reside  as  being 
great  thieves.  These  Indians  had  so  little  respect  for 
their  agent,  that  they  would  openly  boast  of  the 
crimes  which  they  had  committed,  in  his  very  pres- 
ence. Not  only  this,  but,  on  horses  stolen  from  neigh- 
boring settlers,  they  would  ride  by  him,  thus  defying 
his  power.  The  settlers  were  loud  in  their  complaints 
against  the  Government  for  thus  neglecting  to  protect 
them,  and  sending  them  a  block  of  wood  for  a  king. 
The  young  man  of  whom  we  speak  bore  an  exemplary 
character,  but  it  was  plainly  and  painfully  apparent 
that  he  was,  in  no  wTay  whatever,  fitted  for  the  office 
he  held,  and  which  he  had  attained  through  the  influ- 
ence of  powerful  political  friends.  This  is  but  a  fair 
example  by  which  many  of  the  so-called  Indian  agents 
may  be  rated,  who  are  the  actual  managers  of  Indian 
affairs  on  our  frontiers. 

The  U talis  and  the  Apaches,  having  now  openly 
combined,  met  with  such  success  in  their  endeavors  to 
attack  the  whites,  that,  during  the  course  of  a  few 
months,  they  overran  almost  the  entire  northern  part 
of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico.  They  utterly  defied 
the  power  of  the  American  Government;  and,  when- 
ever the  opportunity  offered,  boasted  to  the  Mexicans 
"  that  they  no  longer  stood  in  fear  of  the  white  men." 
The  subsequent  cruel  and  barbarous  crimes  of  which 
they  were  guilty,  clearly  demonstrated  that  they  were 
elated  by  their  success.  It  soon  became  apparent  that, 
unless  checked,  they  would  exterminate  the  population 
and  burn  or  otherwise  destroy  their  settlements. 


CRUEL    AND    BARBAROUS    CRIMES.  483 

At  this  time,  it  was  only  by  running  great  risk  that 
the  whites  could  leave  their  towns  and  go  to  the  neigh- 
boring mountains,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  even  a 
little  firewood.  Working  parties  were  daily  surprised 
and  murdered ;  women  and  children  were  carried  into 
bondage,  and  reserved  for  a  worse  fate,  and  all  kinds 
of  business  were  receiving  a  check,  which  was  becom- 
ing ruinous  to  the  country.  It  was  even  greatly 
feared  that  the  boldness  of  the  savages  would  carry 
them  so  far  as  to  make  them  attack  Fort  Massachu- 
setts. To  give  them  a  warm  reception,  should  they 
dare  undertake  that  enterprise,  the  post  was  strength- 
ened, by  cutting  down  and  removing  everything  which 
might  in  the  least  tend  to  aid  the  Indians,  and  give 
them  a  cover  which  they  so  much  like  when  fighting ; 
all  the  trees  and  brush  about  the  post  were  cut  away. 
Breastworks  were  thrown  up  on  the  block-house  at- 
tached to  the  post,  so  that  the  soldiers  could  be  well 
protected  in  case  of  emergency.  In  these,  sentinels 
were  posted,  and  the  strength  of  the  guard  doubled 
and  greater  vigilance  exacted.  Haystacks  were  re- 
moved to  a  safe  place,  for  fear  they  would  be  fired  by 
the  enemy.  The  sentinels  were  ordered  to  cry  out 
every  half  hour  in  the  night  while  on  their  posts,  and 
no  man  was  allowed  to  approach  after  the  shades  of 
night  had  come  on,  without  giving  the  countersign. 
It  proved  to  be  well  that  these  precautions  were  taken, 
for,  on  the  neighboring  mountains,  Indian  watch-fires 
were  seen  nightly;  and,  on  several  mornings,  Indian 
moccasin  tracks  were  discovered  in  close  proximity  to 
the  fort,  showing  thereby  that  the  enemy  was  watching 
and  waiting  for  a  favorable  opportunity  to  strike  a  sud- 
den and  overwhelming  blow  upon  the  garrison  within. 


484        GREAT  AND  SUDDEN  COMMOTION. 

The  savages,  no  doubt,  were  deterred  from  making  a 
bold  attack  by  the  prompt  precautionary  measures 
which  had  been  taken  by  the  commander  to  anticipate 
their  plans.  The  wagons  belonging  to  the  fort  were 
sent  out  after  wood,  under  a  strong  escort,  and  the 
government  herd  of  beef-cattle,  horses  and  mules, 
were  well  protected  by  the  soldiery.  On  one  occasion, 
through  a  false  alarm  of  Indians,  the  whole  command 
of  the  post,  which  numbered  less  than  one  hundred 
men,  was  put  in  great  and  sudden  commotion.  The 
cause  will  appear  in  connection  with  the  following  cir- 
cumstances. The  party  in  charge  of  the  herd  had  espied 
a  large  cavalcade  of  men  and  animals  approaching  them. 
At  the  long  distance  they  were  off,  the  strangers  resem- 
bled Indians.  The  commander  of  the  party  immedi- 
ately sent  an  expressman  to  the  fort  to  apprise  its  oc- 
cupants of  the  fact.  The  drums  immediately  sounded 
the  rally,  which  caused  the  men  to  rush  for  their  arms. 
They  quickly  fell  into  their  ranks,  and  the  order  was 
given  to  march.  Headed  by  a  gallant  lieutenant,  they 
dashed  out  of  the  fort  on  a  fast  run,  in  order  to  reach 
and  save  their  property  from  being  captured  by  the 
enemy.  The  soldiers  were  elated  at  the  prospect  of 
having  a  brush  with  the  Indians,  and,  on  an  open 
plain,  giving  them  battle,  where,  notwithstanding  the 
great  numbers  which  would  certainly  be  arrayed  against 
them,  they  felt  that  they  could  soundly  chastise  them. 
On  reaching  the  herd,  the  soldiers  scattered,  and  were 
soon  prepared  to  commence  the  skirmish ;  but,  lo ! 
^when  the  strangers  drew  near  enough  to  be  discern- 
ible, they  were  recognized  as  a  large  party  of  Mexicans, 
under  the  command  of  an  American.  These  people 
had  been  absent  several  months  on  a  trading  voyage 


FORT  MASSACHUSETTS,  NEW  MEXICO,  IN  1856. 


ORGANIZING   THE    MILITARY.  487 

among  the  Cheyennes  and  Arrapahoes,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  returning  home  in  safety,  they  had  formed 
themselves  into  one  body.  Their  dress  was  similar  to 
that  of  the  Indians,  and,  therefore,  at  the  great  distance 
at  which  they  were  first  discovered,  it  is  not  strange 
that  such  a  mistake  had  been  made,  especially  during 
these  dangerous  times.  The  reason  of  the  sudden  sta- 
tioning  of  the  soldiers  about  the  herd,  the  traders  easily 
surmised ;  hence,  on  drawing  near,  they  began  to  cry 
out  that  they  were  friends.  No  set  of  men  were  ever 
more  disappointed  than  were  these  soldiers  at  this  un- 
expected termination  of  the  affair. 

Matters  eventually  arrived  at  such  a  crisis  that  the 
Governor  of  the  Territory,  by  and  with  the  advice  of 
the  Commanding  General,  felt  obliged  to  issue  a  proc- 
lamation, calling  upon  the  people  to  volunteer  for  the 
purpose  of  defending  their  lives  and  property. 

The  inhabitants  of  New  Mexico  promptly  responded 
to  this  call,  by  flocking  to  the  places  designated  for 
them  to  organize.  Out  of  the  great  number  who  pre- 
sented themselves  and  offered  their  services,  there  were 
selected  men  sufficient  to  fill  six  conrpanies,  each  of 
which,  when  fully  organized,  contained  eighty  mounted 
men.  They  had  the  power  of  electing  their  own  offi- 
cers, by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Gov- 
ernor. These  volunteers  furnished  themselves  with 
riding  horses.  The  pay  which  they  were  to  receive 
amounted  to  about  thirty  dollars  per  month,  which  was 
considered  very  liberal,  inasmuch  as  they  were  pro- 
vided, in  most  cases,  with  arms.  Rations  were  issued 
out  to  them  the  same  as  to  the  regular  army.  The 
willingness  which  the  Mexicans  exhibited  on  this  occa- 
sion to  volunteer,  does  them  great  credit,  and  clearly 


488       THE  PROPER  MODE  OF  TREATMENT. 

proves  the  fact  that  they  do  not  always  lack  in  courage^ 
but  that  they  are  prompt  to  defend  their  homes  when 
properly  disciplined  and  aided  with  the  means  neces- 
sary to  do  so. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  many  of  the  most  prominent  cit- 
izens of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico,  that,  if  the  chas- 
tisement of  the  Indians,  when  it  was  required,  was  left 
to  the  people  themselves,  the  general  Government  only 
supplying  them  with  money  and  arms,  that  peace  be- 
tween the  two  parties  would,  in  a  short  time,  be  firmly 
established  on  a  sure  and  permanent  footing. 

In  giving  currency  to  such  opinions,  we  risk  them, 
with  the  knowledge  that  the  previous  experiments  made 
on  this  policy,  which  have  proved  unsuccessful  in  the 
various  older  territories  belonging  to  the  United  States, 
will  be  brought  to  bear  as  potent  arguments  against 
such  a  course  by  a  large  and  powerful  opposition.  But 
such  facts  of  Indian  history  are  exceptions.  Indian 
history  clearly  demonstrates  the  proposition,  that  well- 
organized  volunteers,  under  able  leaders,  have  accom- 
plished more  in  warfare  against  the  savages  than 
regular  troops,  taking  into  consideration  that  the  same 
length  of  time,  which  each  have  been  engaged  in  actual 
service,  has  given  them  equal  experience.  The  cause 
of  this  is  plain.  These  two  distinct  forces  are  composed, 
entirely,  of  different  material.  The  one  is  made  up  of 
frontiersmen  who  thoroughly  understand  the  effective 
use  of  the  rifle,  and  a  life  in  an  Indian  country,  while 
the  regular  soldiers  have  to  be  taught  these  things ; 
and,  as  it  very  often  happens,  they  have  never  seen  one 
of  their  enemy  until  sent  out  in  quest  of  the  savages. 

As   matters  usually  stand,  the  Indians    are    almost 
the  actual,  although  not  the  nominal,  masters  of  the 


THE    REASON    OF    FAILURE.  489 

country.     In  short,  they  commit  excesses  whenever  it 
suits  them,  paying   no   regard   to   treaties.     This  has 
been  their  habit  from  time  immemorial,  and  it  is  found 
to  be   a  difficult   task  to  break  them  from  it.     Their 
minor  crimes  are  allowed  to  accumulate,  and  when,  at 
last,  they  are  actuated  by  increasing  success  and  con- 
sequent boldness,  to  commit  some  great  and  overt  act, 
it  is  noticed,  and  expeditions  are  sent  out  against  them. 
These  usually  fail  to  punish  the  really  guilty  parties, 
but  instead,  they  recover  a  small  share  of  the  property 
stolen,  and  with  it  the  thirst  for  revenge  must  be  sa- 
tiated.    The  officers   and   soldiers  do  their  utmost  to 
accomplish  something  more,  and   readily  meet  hard- 
ships and  privations  in  every  shape  in  order  to  accom- 
plish the   desired  end ;    but  their  time  is  too  limited 
rightly  and   efficiently  to   perform   the  work ;    for  the 
campaign  must  be  ended,  when  in  reality  it  has  but 
just  commenced.     The  reason  exists  in  the  fact  that 
those  high  in   authority  are  liable  to  be  called  to  an 
account  for  spending  a  dollar  too  much  in  a  good  cause. 
Perhaps  this  state  of  affairs  has  been  brought  about  by 
the  immense  expenses  which   have   attended  many  of 
the   Indian  wars  in  which  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment has   been   engaged,  when   mismanagement  and 
paltry  results   have    characterized  the    acts  of  whole 
campaigns.     This  charge  cannot,  however,  reach  to  the 
military  department  in  which  New  Mexico  is  included, 
for  the  leading  officers  who  have,  from  time  to  time, 
been  stationed  there,  have  invariably  exhibited  an  un- 
usual amount  of  discretion  and  sound  judgment,  and 
have   set  examples   of  military  science,   promptitude 
and  skill  which  it  might  be  well  for  others  to  follow. 
Under  the  existing  causes  for  difficulty  and  pecu- 


490  THE    CAUSE    OF    INDIAN    MASSACRES. 

liarity  of  circumstances,  it  is  sometimes  hazardous  to 
assume  the  responsibility  of  punishing  the  hostile  In- 
dians as  they  deserve. 

By  punishing  the  Indians  we  do  not  wish  to  impress 
the  reader  with  the  idea  that  they  must  be  collected 
and  butchered,  like  animals,  in  order  to  bring  them  to 
terms.  Milder  means  serve  the  same  purpose ;  but, 
when  they  dig  up  the  hatchet,  battles  must  be  fought 
in  which  they  ought  to  be  so  closely  driven  as  to  cause 
them  to  see  that  it  is  perfect  rashness  to  attack  the 
whites.  One  victory  gained  by  savages  over  white 
men  so  exhilarates  their  pride  that  they  forget  the 
past  and  believe  themselves  invincible.  In  these  fights 
valuable  lives  are  sacrificed,  but  they  are  necessary 
sacrifices  for  the  common  good.  When  one  tribe  is 
severely  chastised,  the  surrounding  Indians  hear  of  it, 
and,  becoming  alarmed,  for  a  time  they  behave  them- 
selves with  propriety.  This  happy  state  of  things  will 
continue  until  some  weak  move  on  the  part  of  govern- 
ment officials  counteracts  this  good  influence,  when, 
misconstruing  kind  acts  for  fear,  the  red  men  at  once 
dig  up  the  tomahawk  and  boldly  march  upon  the  war 
path,  to  spill  innocent  blood.  Such  results  often  follow 
when  the  power  is  taken  from  the  experienced  military 
commanders,  and  vested  in  the  hands  of  (often  the 
fact)  inexperienced  superintendents.  These  men  pom- 
pously invite  the  Indians  to  grand  councils,  where  un- 
meaning speeches  are  manufactured  to  suit  the  occa- 
sion. Usually  when  thus  summoned,  the  wily  savages 
are  delighted  to  go  into  council,  for,  as  a  rejoinder  to 
the  many  concessions  which  are  easily  obtained  from 
them,  and  which  they  are  always  ready  to  make  after 
assuming  a  little  coquetry,  they  receive  presents  which 


A  CAPTIVE  CHILD   PLEADING   FOR  MERCY. 


THE  ONLY  TRUE  KEMEDY.  491 

the  superintendent  informs  them  are  merely  tokens  of 
the  high  appreciation  with  which  they  are  regarded  by 
their  Great  Father  at  Washington. 

Kit  Carson  often  said  "  that  the  only  true  remedy 
for  this  great  evil  is  to  compel  the  savages  to  form  set- 
tlements by  themselves.  Then  and  there  assist  and 
teach  them  to  cultivate  the  soil.  In  time  they  will  be 
able  to  gain  a  maintenance  independent  of  the  General 
Government ;  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  they  will  be- 
come responsible  for  their  acts." 

The  people  who  form  the  chief  population  of  the 
Territory  have  so  often  been  deprived  of  their  prop- 
erty that  it  is  not  strange  that  they  have  become 
poverty-stricken  and  indolent.  It  is  enough  to  strike 
down  the  enterprise  of  any  nation  to  have  been. so 
long  badly  governed,  and  then,  without  any  resources 
in  the  way  of  arms  and  ammunition,  to  be  compelled 
to  beat  back  hostile  Indians.  Under  the  provisions  of 
the  Government  of  the  United  States,  they  are  improv- 
ing, but  yet,  even  now,  they  have  not  the  protection 
which  they  require,  and  should  receive.  In  their  Ter- 
ritory it  takes  a  daring  man  to  venture  his  small  capi- 
tal in  raising  stock.  To  be  sure,  claims  are  allowed 
them  by  Congress  for  the  losses  by  Indian  depreda- 
tions, but  these  usually  fall  into  the  hands  of  specu- 
lators, and  in  reality,  assist  the  people  to  a  very  trifling 
extent.  It  can  be  said,  to  their  credit,  that  Mexicans 
bear  reverses  of  fortune  with  a  nonchalance  seldom 
seen  among  any  other  race.  Although  generally  poor, 
they  are  as  happy  and  joyous  as  it  is  possible  for  hu- 
man beings  to  be 

The  organization  of  the  Mexican  volunteers  was 
made  complete  by  the  Governor  of  the  Territory,  who 


492  MEXICAN    VOLUNTEERS. 

selected,  as  their  leader,  Mr.  Ceran  St.  Vrain  of  Taos. 
This  gentleman,  although  he  had  much  important 
business  which  called  his  attention  elsewhere,  imme- 
diately expressed  his  willingness  to  accept  the  respon- 
sible position  which,  without  solicitation,  had  been 
conferred  upon  him.  The  commission  received  by  St. 
Vrain  gave  him  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel.  With- 
out delay  he  set  about  the  difficult  and  important  work 
that  lay  before  him,  bringing  to  bear  upon  the  details, 
that  sound  judgment,  gentlemanly  bearing  and  ready 
zeal,  which  have  long  characterized  the  man.  He  had 
the  good  fortune  to  secure  the  services  of  Lieutenant 
Creigg  of  the  regular  army,  whom  he  appointed  one 
of  his  aids-de-cainp.  Having  completed  his  staff,  and 
other  arrangements  to  place  his  force  upon  a  military 
basis,  he  was  ready  to  take  the  field. 

The  appointment  of  St.  Vrain  as  Commander  of  the 
Volunteers,  was  hailed  with  delight  throughout  the 
Territory.  His  great  experience  in  the  mountains, 
his  knowledge  of  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare,  and  the 
respect  which  the  people  he  was  called  to  command 
invariably  paid  him,  seemed  to  convince  every  think- 
ing mind  that  something  more  than  usual  was  to  be 

CD  O 

accomplished.  They  felt  that  the  wrongs  of  their 
country  would  now  be  certainly  redressed.  The  se- 
quel will  prove  that  the  people  were  not  doomed  to 
disappointment. 

Early  in  the  month  of  February,  1855,  Col.  T.  T. 
Fauntleroy,  of  the  First  Regiment  of  United  States 
Dragoons,  arrived  in  Taos  from  Fort  Union,  New 
Mexico. 

Fort  Union  is  the  first  post  met  with  on  entering  the 
Territory  of  New  Mexico  from  the  east.     It  lies  on  the 


DARING  AND  EXPERT  HORSEMEN.        493 

Santa  Fe  road  usually  traveled  by  parties  when  cross- 
ing the  plains,  and  is  about  one  hundred  miles  distant 
from  the  capital.  The  site  of  this  fort,  at  the  first 
view,  is  bold  and  picturesque,  as  it  is  located  near  the 
west  side  of  a  broad  valley,  which  is  continuous  with 
the  open  prairies.  The  houses  composing  the  fort  are 
built  mostly  of  logs;  and,  as  there  are  quite  a  number  of 
them,  the  post  has  the  appearance  of  a  small  settlement. 
The  soil  about  is  sandy,  and  the  place  being  exposed,  it 
suffers  when  the  high  winds  spring  up.  This  fort  is 
usually  garrisoned  by  several  companies  of  soldiers. 

As  it  has  such  free  access  to  the  mail  communication 
with  the  States,  it  is,  comparatively  speaking,  quite  a 
desirable  fort  for  an  officer  to  be  stationed  at.  The 
difficulty  of  procuring  fuel  for  the  fort,  and  also  other 
necessary  articles,  is  the  great  objection  to  the  present 
location,  but  its  importance  more  than  counterbalances 
these;  therefore,  the  post  will  probably  be  kept  up 
either  where  it  is,  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  for 
many  years  to  come.  Colonel  Fauntleroy  had  received 
orders  from  the  Department  General  to  proceed  to  the 
town  of  Taos  and  take  command  of  the  entire  expedi- 
tion. The  little  force  had  been  made  as  powerful 
as  the  resources  of  the  country  would  permit.  The 
Mexican  Volunteers,  soon  after  their  enrollment,  pur- 
chased woolen  shirts  and  felt  hats,  the  color  of  which, 
in  each  company,  was  similar;  this  fact,  with  a  little 
drilling,  gave  them  quite  a  military  appearance.  Never 
were  men  prouder  of  the  position  they  now  held  than 
the  volunteers  under  consideration ;  and  a  more  daring 
and  expert  band  of  horsemen  has  been  seldom  collected. 
So  pleased  were  they  at  being  recognized  as  soldiers, 
that  they  could  not,  when  afterwards  marching  through 

29 


494  MEXICAN    PONIES. 

their  own  towns,  resist  the  temptation  of  jocosely  taunt- 
ing their  countrymen  whom  they  chanced  to  meet,  for 
being  obliged  to  till  the  ground.  We  have  before  said 
that  these  men  were  mounted.  At  first  sight  it  would 
appear  as  though  they  would  soon  be  on  foot,  for  their 
horses  appeared  to  be  in  a  sad  plight  for  so  severe  a  cam- 
paign as  that  which  lay  before  them  As  has  often  oc- 
curred before,  looks  are  frequently  deceptive.  In  this 
instance,  it  was  found  to  be  the  case  ;  for,  no  sooner  did 
these  hardy  ponies  reach  the  mountains  than  their  won- 
derful powers  of  endurance  began  to  be  exemplified. 

When  the  noble  dragoon  horses  began  to  droop  from 
hunger  and  overwork,  these  little  fellows  were  fresh 
and  strong  as  the  day  they  started.  The  reason  of 
this  was  that  the  Mexican  horses  were  well  versed  in 
taking  care  of  themselves,  and  when  the  snow  fell  and 
prevented  their  having  free  access  to  the  dry  grass  be- 
neath, they  were  not  in  the  least  disconcerted  ;  for, 
with  the  aid  of  their  fore  feet,  they  readily  pawed  the 
snow  away  and  thus  obtained  full  rations ;  but  their 
more  enlightened  rivals  did  not  fully  understand  this 
science,  and,  owing  to  a  want  of  proper  nourishment, 
their  strength  would  fail,  gradually,  until  finally  they 
broke  down. 

The  only  real  inconvenience  under  which  the  ponies 
seemed  to  labor,  arose  from  tender  feet,  for  the  rocky 
trails  in  the  mountains  rapidly  wore  away  and  broke 
off  their  hoofs.  This  continued,  so  that  at  last,  reach- 
ing the  matrix  of  these  horny  growths,  their  feet  became 
yery  sensitive.  Many  of  the  Mexicans  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  guard  against  this,  before  leaving  the 
towns  and  military  posts  which  lay  on  their  route. 
They  had  obtained  horse-shoes,  with  which  they  shod 


AMATEUR    BLACKSMITHS.  495 

the  ponies.  We  remember  seeing  a  large  party  of  them 
thus  engaged  as  blacksmiths.  It  was  at  night ;  while 
some  of  them  held  burning  torches,  others  were  busy 
with  hammers,  stones  and  hatchets  in  applying  all  sorts 
and  sizes  of  horse  and  mule  shoes,  with  which  they  were 
content,  provided  they  approached  the  diameters  of 
the  hoofs  to  which  they  were  to  be  nailed.  Strange  to 
say,  this  rough  work  answered  the  purpose,  and  but 
few,  if  any,  of  the  animals  so  shod,  went  lame.  After 
the  command  had  got  under  full  headway,  if  any  of 
these  ponies  became  so  tender  in  their  feet  as  to  be  able 
to  travel  only  with  great  difficulty,  their  riders  resorted 
to  other  expedients  for  relieving  them.  When  practi- 
cable, they  obtained  the  fresh  hides  of  the  beef  cattle 
as  they  were  killed,  and,  binding  the  material  around 
the  injured  feet,  and  making  it  fast  about  the  fetlocks, 
they  allowed  it  to  dry  on.  In  the  morning,  thus  pro- 
tected, the  horse  could  journey  on.  It  is  customary 
regularly  to  shoe  these  ponies  only  on  the  fore  feet,  as 
the  weight  of  the  animal's  head  and  neck,  together 
with  that  of  the  rider,  comes  harder  on  these  hoofs,  and 
causes  them,  when  traveling  over  sharp  rocks,  to  wear 
away  quickly.  It  seldom  happens  that  the  hind  feet 
become  tender.  The  Indians  cannot  understand  the 
policy  of  this,  and  one  of  them  philosophizing  on  the 
subject,  while  visiting  the  blacksmith's  shop  attached 
to  a  military  post,  made  the  remark  in  Spanish,  after 
apparently  having  been  for  some  little  time  engaged  in 
a  deep  study,  "  that  it  was  not  right."  Said  he,  "  The 
horse,  with  his  eyes,  can  see  where  to  put  his  fore  feet 
when  traveling  over  bad  places,  but  he  cannot  do  this 
with  those  behind ;  therefore,  you  white  men  ought  to 
put  the  moccasins  there."     The  Mexicans  had  so  much 


496  KIT    CARSON"    AS    CHIEF    GUIDE. 

confidence  in  the  powers  of  endurance  of  their  ponies 
while  out  on  this  campaign,  that  they  hesitated  not  to  run 
them  on  races,  whenever  circumstances  and  the  site  of 
the  camp  would  permit  such  pastime.  The  only  train- 
ing required  for  these  trials  of  speed,  consisted  in  the 
rider  foregoing  the  pleasure  of  riding  for  a  day  or  two, 
in  order  to  allow  his  horse  to  recruit.  As  their  walk- 
ing did  not  in  the  least  interfere  with  the  order  of  the 
march,  they  of  course  were  permitted  to  race  as  they 
pleased,  for  their  services  on  the  march  were  just  as 
valuable  on  foot. 

Colonel  Fauntleroy's  command,  when  completed, 
consisted  of  four  companies  of  Mexican  volunteers,  two 
companies  of  dragoons,  one  company  of  artillery  who 
were  performing  duty  as  a  rifle  corps,  and  one  com- 
pany of  spies.  The  two  remaining  companies  of  vol- 
unteers wyere  dispatched  to  exposed  towns  on  the  re- 
mote frontiers  in  order  to  protect  them.  The  artillery 
company  wTas  the  only  one  on  foot ;  but  the  soldiers 
who  then  composed  it  were  known,  from  actual  experi- 
ment, to  be  more  than  a  match  for  the  horses  in  travel- 
ing when  the  party  should  reach  and  penetrate  the 
mountains.  Colonel  Fauntleroy  engaged  the  services 
of  Kit  Carson  as  his  chief  guide,  and,  having  arranged 
all  of  his  plans  necessary  for  a  vigorous  campaign,  he 
set  out  upon  its  execution. 

The  command  proceeded  at  first  one  hundred  miles 
due  north  to  Fort  Massachusetts,  which  was  to  be  their 
depot.  Without  delay,  they  left  this  post  and  pro- 
ceeded, encountering  snow-storms  and  severe  cold 
weather.  The  mercury  of  the  thermometer,  for  most 
of  the  time,  ranged  several  degrees  below  zero.  They 
marched  to  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte,  and  thence  on 


AN    ACCIDENT    TO    A    PET.  497 

up  this  river  to  where  it  makes  its  exit  through  a  deep 
canon  from  the  mountains.  It  was,  as  will  be  remem- 
bered by  the  reader,  on  the  head-waters  of  this  last- 
mentioned  stream  that  Colonel  Fremont,  while  en- 
gaged in  his  last  great  exploring  expedition,  met 
with  severe  reverses,  in  which  several  of  his  men 
lost  their  lives  from  exposure,  hunger,  etc.,  while  he, 
and  the  remainder  of  his  party,  barely  escaped  the 
same  fate. 

While  passing  over  this  point  of  his  journey,  Colonel 
Fauntleroy  sent  out  as  an  advance  party  the  company 
of  spies.  Their  duty  was  to  seek  for  fresh  Indian 
trails.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  canon  of  this 
river,  the  main  portion  of  the  soldiers  halted  for  a  short 
time,  while  their  trailers  penetrated  the  mountains  in 
search  of  the  much  desired  Indian  signs.  During  this 
resting  spell  an  incident  occurred  which,  for  an  hour 
or  twTo,  created  some  little  stir  and  excitement  among 
part  of  the  men  present.  A  large  Newfoundland  dog 
belonging  to  an  officer  had,  accidentally,  been  allowed 
to  follow  the  soldiers.  By  his  pranks  and  his  good 
disposition  he  had  become  a  general  favorite  among 
them.  While  attempting  to  drink,  this  animal  lost  his 
foothold  on  the  ice  and  slipped  into  the  swift  current 
of  the  river,  which  was  partially  frozen  over.  The 
dog  at  once  attempted  to  extricate  himself,  but  with 
all  his  efforts  he  could  do  no  more  than  stem  the  flood, 
making  no  progress  against  it.  His  situation  was  very 
precarious,  for,  should  his  strength  begin  to  give  out, 
he  was  certain  to  be  carried  under  the  ice  and  lost. 
The  sympathies  of  the  men  were  soon  well  awakened 
in  his  behalf,  and  many  plans  were  devised  to  rescue 
him,  but  they  all  proved  abortive  until,  at  last,  a  Mex- 


498  ON    THE    INDIAN    TRAIL. 

ican  approached  him  with  a  lasso,  and  after  making 
several  vain  attempts,  succeeded  finally  in  encircling 
the  dog's  head  with  the  slip-noose.  On  tightening  the 
rope  he  found  that  he  had  the  animal  firm,  and  soon 
dragged  him  from  his  perilous  position. 

The  spies  were  not  long  in  discovering  a  trail  made 
by  the  Indians,  to  which  they  led  the  main  portion  of 
the  command.  This  trail  had  been  so  frequently  used 
of  late  by  the  Indians  in  driving  stolen  bands  of  sheep 
and  cattle  over  it,  that  it  was  now  a  well-trodden  road, 
and,  therefore,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  keeping  on  it 
at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night. 

Being  accustomed  to  perform  his  duty  carefully, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  use  dispatch,  the  Colonel,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  days,  led  his  party  to  the  entrance  of 
the  Saquachi  Pass,  which  is  the  great  natural  opening 
in  the  mountains  that  bound  on  the  west  the  valley  of 
San  Luis.  As  they  approached  the  mouth  of  the  pass, 
the  men  were  traveling  close  under  the  hills;  therefore, 
on  coming  to  it,  and  in  order  to  follow  it  up,  it  was 
necessary  to  turn  off  almost  at  a  right  angle.  The 
spies,  as  was  usual  when  the  command  was  on  the 
march,  were  considerably  in  the  advance.  They  had 
hardly  entered  the  pass,  and  had  just  reached  the 
summit  of  a  knoll  which  lay  in  their  path  and  which 
had  hitherto  prevented  their  seeing  up  the  valley, 
when,  all  at  once,  the  long  looked  for  Indians  were 
presented  to  their  view.  They  were  but  a  short  dis- 
tance off,  and  as  if  surprised  at  thus  so  suddenly  dis- 
covering each  other,  both  parties  halted.  During 
this  state  of  suspense,  the  white  men  noticed  that  the 
Indians  were  arrayed  in  their  war  costume,  showing 
that  they  were  bound  on  another  plundering  expedi- 


A    WARFARE    OF    SMALL    TALK.  499 

tion.  Everything  went  to  show  that  the  visit  which 
the  white  men  were  making  to  their  mountain  haunts 
was  unexpected  by  the  red  men. 

The  Indians  quickly  recovered  from  their  astonish- 
ment and  began  to  form  in  line  of  battle  by  spreading 
themselves  out  across  the  valley.  They  were  evidently 
emboldened  by  the  small  force  with  which,  apparently, 
they  had  to  contend,  and  felt  certain  that  a  victory 
would  be  both  easy  and  sure.  Having  taken  their 
position,  Blanco,  their  Chief,  wTas  easily  recognized  by 
the  red  woolen  shirt  which  he  wore.  He  was  busy, 
riding  along  in  front  of  his  warriors,  occasionally  stop- 
ping to  give  some  command.  As  they  were  near  enough 
so  to  do,  the  Indians  opened  a  warfare  of  small  talk,  in 
the  Spanish  language.  They  charged  their  adversaries 
with  being  afraid  to  advance,  or  to  use  their  expressive 
words,  the  Americans  were  as  cowardly  as  squaws.  To 
these  taunts  no  reply  was  made  ;  but,  to  keep  up  the 
decoy,  the  few  soldiers  who  were  exposed  to  view  re- 
mained stationary,  while  word  was  passed  to  the  rear 
of  what  was  transpiring  in  the  advance.  Thus  several 
minutes  passed  by ;  but  they  were  not  thrown  away. 
During  this  time,  most  of  the  dragoons  and  volunteers 
were  relieving  themselves  of  such  extra  luggage  as 
overcoats,  blankets,  etc. ;  saddle  girths  were  tightened 
and  weapons  put  in  order  for  immediate  use.  The  In- 
dians were  finely  mounted,  and  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  strong;  and,  as  their  wild  career  had  gone  so  long 
unchecked,  their  bravery  was  aroused  to  its  highest 
pitch.  All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  bugle  sounded 
the  command  to  charge,  when  away  dashed  the  gallant 
soldiers,  eager  for  the  affray,  and  each  trying  to  be 
foremost  in   the  fight.     As  they  came  bounding  over 


500  A    RUNNING    FIGHT. 

the  knoll  before  spoken  of,  the  Indians  began  to  see 
the  delusion  under  which  they  had  been  laboring,  and 
at  once  turned  to  fly,  but  not  in  time  to  escape,  for  the 
soldiers  were  soon  among  them,  and  with  their  revolv- 
ers and  small  arms  were  fast  thinning  their  ranks  and 
sending  many  a  brave  to  his  final  home.  A  running 
fight  ensued,  which  was  continued  up  the  valley  for 
about  eight  miles,  when  a  majority  of  the  Indians 
gained  the  mountains  and  made  good  their  escape. 
The  chase  was  a  splendid  affair  to  behold,  and  many 
feats  of  horsemanship  were  performed  that  would  be 
difficult  to  excel.  Among  the  foremost  in  this  skir- 
mish was,  as  the  reader  might  readily  imagine,  Kit 
Carson.  The  pursuit  was  continued  far  into  the 
mountains,  and  was  only  given  over  when  night 
came  on.  The  soldiers  then  retired  to  their  re- 
serve guard,  who  had  established  a  camp  on  a  small 
stream  which  runs  through  the  centre  of  the  pass, 
■where  their  pack  animals  and  stores  could  be  easily 
guarded.  During  this  exciting  fight  several  of  the 
soldiers  were  slightly  wounded.  With  this  exception, 
the  command  came  out  of  the  skirmish  unharmed.  On 
the  side  of  the  Indians,  affairs  in  this  respect  were  quite 
different.  Their  blood  had  well  sprinkled  the  battle- 
ground, and  several  of  their  swarthy  forms  wTere 
stretched  out  at  full  length,  sleeping  that  sleep  that 
knows  no  wakening,  except  it  be  at  the  final  judgment 
day.  Had  it  not  been  that  most  of  the  Indians,  as  is 
usually  the  case  with  them  when  in  action,  were  tied 
on  their  horses,  this  number  would  have  been  aug- 
mented. The  bloody  trails  that  were  afterwards  found 
in  the  mountains  went  to  prove  that  many  of  the 
wounds  given    to    the    escaped  Indians  were  mortal, 


PRETENDING    TO    BE    DEAD.  501 

and,  while  their  horses  were  carrying  them  from  the 
danger,  they  themselves  were  sinking  from  furious 
hemorrhage.  Early  in  the  pursuit,  a  fine  warrior  was 
thrown  from  his  horse.  As  he  had  been  crippled  by  a 
ball,  he  could  not  recover  himself  and  make  off.  For 
some  time  he  lay  alone  and  neglected,  but  when  the 
rear  guard  came  along  they  noticed  that  he  was  play- 
ing a  game  by  pretending  to  be  dead ;  but  he  had 
closed  his  eyes  too  firmly  for  a  man  in  that  condition, 
and  this  fact  attracted  the  notice  of  the  passers-by.  A 
Mexican  raised  his  rifle  and  fired  at  the  brave  ;  but  the 
bullet  only  served  to  cause  another  flesh  wound.  This 
so  irritated  the  would-be-deacl  savage  that,  seizing  his 
lance  that  lay  by  his  side,  he  attempted  to  reach  and 
kill  his  adversary  with  it ;  but,  others  coming  up,  he 
was  soon  dispatched. 

While  this  running  fight  was  in  progress,  the  author 
met  with  an  adventure  which  came  near  costing;  him 
his  life.  It  was  my  duty  to  follow  the  charging  sol- 
diers in  order  to  be  near  at  hand  to  render  professional 
services  to  the  wounded,  should  there  be  any.  I  was 
mounted  on  a  young  horse,  and  when  the  dragoon 
horses  started  off,  he  became  frightened  and  unman- 
ageable, and  was  in  a  short  time  left  far  behind,  but 
not  until  he  had  fallen  and  thrown  me  into  a  thrifty 
bed  of  prickly  pears,  the  thorns  of  which  did  not,  in 
the  least,  save  me  from  being  hurt.  On  regaining  my 
feet,  I  found  that  my  injuries  were  but  slight,  and  that 
I  still  retained  my  bridle  rein,  therefore  I  quickly  re- 
gained my  seat  in  the  saddre  and  started  on  again,  re- 
membering the  old  proverb,  which  says,  "  All  is  fair  in 
war."  While  riding  on,  I  was  joined  by  a  soldier  whose 
horse  had  broken  down  in  the  charge.     As  we  now  ad- 


502  THE  AUTHOE  IN  DANGER. 

vanced  together,  our  route  led  us  by  some  large  sand 
hills,  behind  which  several  Indians  had  sought  refuse, 
when  hotly  pursued.  Seeing  that  they  had  been  over- 
looked during  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  they  re- 
mained quiet  until  we  came  along,  when  they  made  a 
dash  at  us  and  commenced  firing  their  arrows  in  fine 
style.  My  horse  now  became  unmanageable,  and  by 
some  unaccountable  impulse  made  directly  for  the  In- 
dians, seeing  which,  they  fled  precipitately.  My  horse 
seemed  determined  to  bring  me  into  uncomfortably 
close  quarters  with  a  young  warrior,  who  constantly 
turned  and  saluted  me  with  his  arrows.  As  the  situa- 
tion was  getting  decidedly  unpleasant,  I  raised  myself 
in  the  saddle,  and  sent  a  ball  from  my  revolver  through 
the  body  of  the  Indian,  which  rolled  him  to  the  ground 
dead,  his  horse,  relieved  of  his  load,  galloping  away 
furiously.  As  the  danger  was  thick  about  them,  the 
balance  of  the  Indians  soon  left  to  effect  their  escape. 
Riding  back,  I  soon  found  the  soldier,  and  attended  to 
the  wounded  horse,  whose  life  we  were  so  fortunate  as 
to  save,  by  putting  a  ligature  about  the  bleeding  vessel. 
The  night  succeeding  the  day  on  which  this  fight  oc- 
curred, with  a  single  exception,  passed  by  quietly.  A 
soldier,  who  lay  near  the  center  of  the  camp,  had  re- 
tired to  rest,  perhaps  impressed  with  the  belief  that  he 
and  his  comrades  would  be  attacked  by  the  Indians  be- 
foie  morning;  this  train  of  thought  had  led  him  into 
dreams  of  war,  and  while  reveling  in  them,  he  imagined 
that  danger  was  at  hand.  Suddenly  starting  up,  and 
seizing  his  rifle,  he  fired  at  random.  His  bullet  came 
near  striking  a  Mexican  sentinel  who  was  on  duty,  and 
who  was  making  his  rounds.  The  sentinel  was  very 
naturally  startled  by  this  unaccountable  noise  in  the 


A    FALSE    ALARM.  505 

camp,  and  supposing  that  the  Indians  had,  unobserved, 
crept  within  the  lines,  he  returned  the  compliment  by 
discharging  his  piece  in  the  direction  of  the  supposed 
danger.  The  report  of  these  fire-arms  had  the  effect  of 
arousing  the  entire  command.  The  men  were  quickly 
on  their  feet  and  ready  for  active  service.  In  the 
confusion  which  ensued,  several  more  rifles  were  fired, 
but  fortunately  no  harm  was  done,  and  as  soon  as  the 
cause  of  the  trouble  was  explained,  quietness  and  order 
was  promptly  established. 

At  the  break  of  day,  on  the  next  morning,  the  sol- 
diers were  up  and  jDreparing  for  their  march.  The  In- 
dians had,  on  this  morning,  made  fires,  and  even  pre- 
sented themselves  to  view  on  the  mountains,  but  they 
were  few  in  number,  and  it  was  well  known  that  this 
was  only  a  ruse  to  allure  the  white  men  to  the  wrong 
trail,  while  their  families  should  have  time  to  escape  in 
the  contrary  direction ;  hence,  but  little  notice  was 
taken  of  these  demonstrations. 

Colonel  Fauntleroy  here  determined  to  relieve  him- 
self of  all  drawbacks  which  should  in  the  least  tend  to 
prevent  his  now  giving  full  chase  to  the  Indians.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  left  his  baggage  and  provision  train  under 
escort  of  the  foot  company  and  quartermaster  men,  the 
whole  being  placed  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Lloyd  Beall,  of  the  Second  Regiment  U.  S.  Artillery, 
with  instructions  to  meet  him  at  an  appointed  rendez- 
vous in  the  Wet  Mountain  Valley.  It  required  but  a 
short  search  by  his  guide,  Kit  Carson,  and  his  spies,  to 
put  him  on  the  right  trail  taken  by  the  main  portion  of 
the  enemy.  When  it  was  found,  the  pursuit  was  re- 
sumed and  kept  up  vigorously.  Late  and  early,  the 
soldiers  followed  on  this  trail,  and  although  the  Indians 


506  SCALPING   A    WOMAN. 

purposely  led  them  over  the  worst  conceivable  route, 
yet  they  gained  nothing  substantial  by  it.  On  one  oc- 
casion, when  the  men  were  pushing  on  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble, their  advance  guard  surprised  three  Indians,  one 
of  them  a  woman,  while  they  were  leisurely  watering 
their  ponies.  These  Indians  attempted  to  fly,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  good  run  for  about  four  miles,  but, 
at  the  end  of  that  distance,  two  of  them  were  over- 
taken. A  Mexican,  who  was  mounted  on  a  very  swift 
horse,  was  the  first  to  come  up  with  the  savages.  He 
fired  and  brought  the  woman  to  the  ground.  Quickly 
dismounting,  he  made  a  trophy  of  her  scalp.  The 
other  Indian,  being  arrested  by  a  slight  wound,  was 
made  a  prisoner.  On  questioning  him,  it  was  found 
that  they  all  belonged  to  one  family.  The  man  who 
had  made  his  escape,  was  the  husband  of  the  woman 
who  was  killed,  while  the  prisoner  was  her  brother. 
These  Indians  had  heard  nothing  of  the  recent  fight  in 
the  Saqiiachi  Pass,  and,  had  the  soldiers  dropped  down 
from  the  heavens,  they  could  not  have  been  more  sur- 
prised at  thus  unceremoniously  meeting  them.  It  was 
very  much  regretted  by  those  present  that  this  Indian 
woman  had  lost  her  life ;  but,  as  she  was  dressed  in  the 
disguise  of  a  man,  her  sex  could  not  be  recognized. 
There  are  many  of  our  readers  who  will  perhaps  cen- 
sure this  Mexican  for  his  barbarous  action  of  scalping 
a  human  being,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
education  of  his  people  is  different  from  our  own.  The 
taking  of  Indian  scalps  for  a  long  time  has  been  au- 
thorized by  the  Mexican  Government,  as  a  means  of 
lessening  their  savage  enemies,  and  handsome  premi- 
ums have  been  offered  as  an  inducement  to  obtain 
them.     In  the  case  of  this  Mexican,  there  were  exten- 


INDIAN    MODE    OF    SCALPING.  507 

uating  circumstances  which,  if  they  did  not  warrant 
such  a  cruel  act,  yet  they  rendered  him  somewhat  ex- 
cusable. He  had  recently  lost  a  near  and  dear  relative 
by  the  hands  of  these  same  Indians,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  this  mangled  bod}-  was  still  fresh  in  his  mem- 
ory, making  him  to  thirst  for  revenge.  It  must  not  be 
supposed  for  a  moment  that  the  commanding  officer  of 
this  expedition  had  sanctioned  such  a  mode  of  proced- 
ure, for  he  had  no  knowledge  of  the  matter  until  after 
it  had  been  ended.  It  was  not  within  his  province  to 
preach  humanity  to  a  people  who  had  been  so  greatly 
outraged  by  savages.  He  came  to  punish  and  not  to  in- 
tercede for  wild  men  who  had  long  been  a  terror  to  the 
surrounding  country,  and  upon  whom,  in  order  to  recon- 
cile them,  every  kind  act  had  been  expended  in  vain. 

It  may  possibly  be  asked  whether  a  man,  who  has 
simply  lost  his  scalp,  can  recover.  In  reply  we  can 
safely  say  that  without  any  other  wound,  and  under 
favorable  circumstances,  with  good  care,  the  sufferer 
stands  a  chance  of  being  restored  to  health.  There 
was  a  man  who  formerly  was  living  and  working  at 
his  trade  as  a  blacksmith  in  Santa  Fe,  who,  in  a  fight 
with  the  Camanches  while  crossing  the  plains,  was 
wounded  by  a  lance  and  then  scalped.  After  a  long 
period  of  suffering,  this  person  entirely  recovered,  al- 
though the  cicatrix  of  the  wound  was  ever  afterwards 
a  source  of  annoyance  to  him,  compelling  him  contin- 
ually to  wear  a  skull-cap  made  of  oiled  silk.  The  size 
of  the  scalp,  as  usually  taken  off  by  the  Indians,  varies. 
Sometimes  they  remove  only  the  back  covering  of  the 
head.  At  other  times  thev  cut  off  the  whole,  running 
down  even  with  the  margin  of  the  ear.  When  a  man 
has  died  in  a  manner  which  the  Indians  style  as  u  brave" 


508  AN    INDIAN    SCALP    DANCE. 

— that  is,  desperately  fighting  for  his  life,  and  never  for 
once  showing  fear,  they  take  two  scalps,  one  from  either 
side  of  the  head.  The  object  of  this  is,  to  have  scalp 
dances  for  each,  as  they  consider  such  a  man  as  deserv- 
ing the  fate  of  two  ordinary  men.  These  scalps  are 
often  stretched,  dried,  decorated  and  frequently  kept 
for  years  as  trophies.  The  more  scalps  a  warrior  takes, 
the  greater  favorite  he  becomes  with  his  tribe ;  and 
finally,  having  obtained  a  given  number,  he  is  consid- 
ered eligible  to  fill  the  office  of  War  Chief,  provided  he 
has  other  qualifications,  such  as  the  power  of  quickly 
conceiving  the  right  plan  on  which  to  act  in  case  of 
emergency.  When  a  party  of  Indians  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  have  been  on  a  war  trail,  met  the  enemy 
and  vanquished  them,  they  appoint  a  brave  who  is  hon- 
ored as  being  the  scalp-bearer.  This  warrior  carries  a 
long  pole,  to  which,  at  suitable  distances  from  each  other, 
the  scalps  are  attached.  When  the  party  returns  to, 
and  enters  their  own  village,  this  brave  is  the  observed 
of  all  observers.  Eagerly,  by  the  old  men,  women  and 
children,  these  bloody  trophies  are  counted,  for  each  of 
them  offers  an  occasion  for  rejoicing,  to  be  at  separate 
intervals  of  time.  They  are,  then,  each  synonymous 
with  the  phrase,  a  fete  day,  and  the  scalp-bearer  is 
looked  upon  with  the  same  jealous  eye  which  greets 
the  color-bearer  of  an  army,  after  having  been  engaged 
in  some  great  battle  which  has  proved  successful  to  his 
standard.  An  Indian  will  not  remove,  as  a  general 
thing,  a  scalp  which  contains  gray  hairs.  This  he  con- 
siders to  be  a  business  fit  only  for  women.  The  scalp 
which  is  to  cause  a  general  jubilee,  on  an  appointed 
evening,  is  attached  to  the  top  of  a  long  pole,  planted 
in  the   earth  at  a  suitable  place.     The  warriors  who 


INDIAN   SCALP  DANCE 


A  TERRIBLY  HIDEOUS  SCENE.  511 

have  been  instrumental  in  tearing  it  from  the  head 
of  its  owner,  form  a  circle  around  the  pole,  outside 
of  which  are  arranged  the  spectators.  By  the  aid  of 
one  drumstick,  the  person  who  has  been  detailed  for 
this  duty,  keeps  up  a  beating  motion  on  a  sort  of 
kettle-drum,  the  noise  of  which  serves  the  purpose  of 
marking  time.  The  voices  of  the  dancers  make  the 
music.  At  first  the  song  is  a  mere  humming  sound, 
but  after  a  time,  it  grows  gradually  louder,  until  the 
participants  in  the  dance,  being  excited  to  the  highest 
attainable  pitch  with  interest  in  the  ceremonies,  it  be- 
comes terribly  hideous.  Almost  naked,  with  toma- 
hawk and  hunting-knife  in  hand,  the  warriors  imitate 
the  process  of  dispatching  and  tearing  off  the  scalps  of 
their  victims.  So  excited  do  the  dancing  savages 
sometimes  become  while  reveling  in  these  fantastical 
scenes,  that  they  frequently  are  aroused  to  a  pitch 
which  borders  on  frenzy.  The  spectators  of  these 
sights  get  so  deeply  interested  that  it  is  not  an  extra- 
ordinary matter  for  them  to  appear  as  if  almost  de- 
ranged. Their  excitement  breaks  out  into  exclamations 
of  encouragement  and  applause,  until  at  last  they  can 
control  themselves  no  longer,  and,  on  their  own  ac- 
count, commence  making  bodily  demonstrations  of  joy 
by  jumping  about.  The  scalp  dance  may  last  an  en- 
tire night,  or  until,  worn  down  with  fatigue,  the  actors 
are  willing  to  forego  their  pleasure  and  seek  rest.  The 
Mexicans  on  the  frontiers  have  fallen  into  this  Indian 
custom,  and  they  can  go  into  the  spirit  of  the  scalp 
dance  with  a  relish  which  fully  equals  that  exhibited 
by  their  savage  neighbors.  This  is  not  true  as  a  gen- 
eral rule  ;  but,  very  many  of  their  people  really  enjoy 
these  ceremonies. 


512  AN    INDIAN    VILLAGE. 

Colonel  Fauntleroy  and  his  men  traveled  at  such  a 
rapid  pace  that,  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  days,  they 
succeeded  in  once  more  overtaking  the  main  village 
belonging  to  the  enemy.  The  Indians  took  refuge  in 
a  steep  and  rocky  mountain.  A  skirmishing  fight  im- 
mediately commenced,  which  lasted  several  hours. 
During  this  engagement,  a  large  number  of  the  savage 
warriors  were  killed,  their  band  completely  routed,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  village  made  to  scatter  in 
every  direction  in  order  to  save  their  lives.  At  first 
the  braves  attempted  to  make  a  stand,  but  they  were 
driven  from  rock  to  rock,  until  they  broke  their  ranks 
and  fled.  It  was  about  the  time  of  this  crisis,  and 
when  they  were  most  needed,  that  the  dragoon  horses 
began  to  break  down  and  die. 

The  word  village  has  many  times  appeared  in  our 
pages,  and  as  it  may  prove  ambiguous  to  a  few  of  our 
readers  and  render  them  liable  to  confound  its  meaning 
with  that  of  a  fixed  town,  we  will  here  stop  and  ex- 
plain its  signification  when  applied  to  Indians.  An 
Indian  village,  as  understood  in  border  parlance,  com- 
prises the  lodges,  the  women,  children,  old  men,  and 
such  movable  property  as  Indians  may  chance  to  pos- 
sess. They  are  usually  found  in  some  safe  retreat 
where  the  old  men,  women  and  children  stay  while  the 
warriors  are  engaged  following  the  hunt  or  war  path. 
The  word  has  become  more  generalized  since  it  was 
first  given  to  stationary  camps  of  the  savages,  and  may 
now  include  any  band  of  Indians  traveling  with  their 
families  and  property.  The  village  is  the  home  of  the 
red  man,  where  those  persons  and  things  which  he 
most  cherishes  he  tries  to  keep  intact  and  sacred  from 
the  spoiler's  hand.     It  is  also  where  the  Indian  allows 


||||||H|||j|l|j[|j:       j 


¥mM 


,  a  # 


YOUTH    AND    OLD    AGE.  515 

his  love,  friendship  and  all  the  better  feelings  of  his 
nature  to  exhibit  themselves.  It  is  where  in  early 
youth  he  has  listened  to  the  legends  of  his  tribe,  and 
where  he  is  taught  those  lessons  and  forced  to  endure 
those  trials  which  are  to  prepare  his  heart  in  seeking 
out  revenge.  It  is  the  place  where,  as  he  approaches 
the  age  of  manhood,  he  takes  those  steps  which  are  to 
make  for  him  the  reputation  of  a  daring  hunter  and 
brave  warrior.  Here  he  first  learns  to  shoot  his  arrows 
with  precision,  and  to  handle  the  lance  with  dexterity. 
His  boyish  feats  in  horsemanship,  which  he  daily  per- 
forms in  the  village,  would  be  witnessed  with  astonish- 
ment by  skillful  riders.  It  is  here  that  he  runs  to  wel- 
come his  father  when  he  returns  either  from  the  chase 
or  the  war  path ;  and,  while  he  listens  to  the  mar- 
velous adventures  which  his  sire  has  encountered,  he 
secretly  wishes  himself  a  man,  so  that  he  can  emulate 
his  greatness.  In  fact,  the  same  feelings  exist  between 
parent  and  child  with  the  Indian  race,  as  with  those 
wrho  boast  of  being  more  civilized.  Youth  and  the 
vigor  of  manhood  are  the  golden  days  with  the  savage. 
To  be  doomed  to  old  age,  is  considered  by  him  to  be  a 
punishment.  When  he  is  no  longer  able  to  hunt  and 
seek  out  his  enemy,  he  loses  his  desire  to  live.  His 
life  is  then  considered  an  incumbrance  to  the  camp. 
The  old  and  infirm,  therefore,  are  often  willingly 
deserted,  that  they  may  the  more  quickly  die.  The 
village  is  always  under  the  surveillance  of  men  who 
are  past  the  middle  age,  and  who  no  longer  can  act 
out  the  stirring  deeds  of  the  warrior.  Their  ex- 
perience renders  them  capable  of  giving  good  advice, 
and  attending  to  the  less  active  affairs  of  the  nation. 
They  hold  the  power  of  restraining  the  rashness  and 

30 


516  ALWAYS    PREPARED    FOR    DANGER. 

indiscretion  of  the  younger  men.  therefore  they  are 
selected  to  watch  over  the  property  of  the  tribe,  while 
the  strong  warriors  are  seeking  to  provide  the  de- 
pendent portion  of  the  band  with  food,  or  to  revenge 
their  real  or  imaginary  wrongs.  Order  and  good  fel- 
lowship is  made  to  prevail  in  these  villages,  somewhat 
similar  to  the  habits  found  in  civilized  communities, 
for  the  passions  and  evil  propensities  of  all  men  are 
found  to  be  alike,  no  matter  what  differences  of  educa- 
tion or  color  exist.  We  find  that  the  Indian  tribes 
have  their  wise  men,  whose  voices  are  heard  and 
heeded  on  all  occasions.  When  these  villages  are 
located,  or,  to  use  soldier  phrase,  when  the  Indians  go 
into  camp,  care  is  taken  that  each  lodge  shall  be  placed 
where  it  will  not  interfere  with  the  common  good. 
The  internal  economy  of  these  habitations  is  arranged 
on  a  social  system  which,  in  many  respects,  is  com- 
mendable. When  one  person  is  poor,  generally  speak- 
ing, the  whole  tribe  is  found  to  be  so.  The  herds  of 
horses  and  mules  belonging  to  the  tribe,  are  turned 
loose  in  one  body,  as  if  they  were  the  property  of  one 
man.  If  game  exists  in  plenty  and  danger  is  not  ap- 
prehended, happiness  holds  complete  sway  within  these 
Indian  homes.  The  proverbial  caution  of  the  red  man 
rarely  allows  him  to  be  surprised ;  therefore,  even  in 
times  of  peace,  he  keeps  his  fleetest  horse  tied  at  the 
door  of  his  lodge,  so  that  he  may  make  haste  and  col- 
lect his  property,  and  be  away  before  his  enemy  can 
harm  him.  These  favorite  animals  are  fed  by  hand. 
Before  trusting  his  body  in  sleep,  some  warrior,  in 
whom  the  tribe  repose  the  utmost  confidence,  must 
ascend  a  neighboring  eminence,  if  there  chance  to  be 
one,  and  examine  the  country  in  search  of  dangers. 


DRAGOON    HORSES    BREAKING    DOWN.  517 

Parties  are  always  kept  out  as  spies,  and,  at  the  least 
appearance  of  suspicious  signs,  they  become  easily 
aroused  aud  vigilant,  and  if  clanger  really  exists,  word 
is  immediately  sent  to  their  village  to  be  ready  to 
move.  This  is  a  homely  but  literal  interpretation  of 
the  term  Indian  village. 

The  reader  has  seen  that  the  dragoon  horses  gave 
out  before  the  fatigues  of  the  march,  while  the  Mexican 
ponies  performed  their  tasks  so  admirably  and  easily. 

This  was  a  painful  subject  to  contemplate  and  one 
which  no  man  who  loves  the  noble  horse  could  wish  to 
witness  the  second  time.  The  dragoon  horses,  reduced 
to  skeletons  from  starvation  while  retaining  all  their 
natural  spirit,  with  tottering  limbs,  faithfully  tried  to 
perform  the  labor  which  their  riders,  seemingly,  asked 
of  them.  Long  before  the  arrival  of  the  time  when 
they  could  no  longer  support  a  burden,  the  soldiers  had 
humanely  relieved  them  from  this  work  and  were  assist- 
ing them,  by  all  the  means  in  their  power,  to  reach  a 
haven  of  safety,  where  food,  so  essential  in  restoring 
their  sinking  powers  of  life,  existed  in  abundance.  As 
their  little  remaining  strength  was  leaving  them,  they 
would  exhibit  the  fact  by  staggering.  Finally,  break- 
ing down  in  their  hinder  legs,  they  would  sink  to  the 
ground,  but  not  until  they  had  made  the  effort  to  drag 
themselves  along  with  their  fore  feet.  To  relieve  them 
from  their  agonies  and  prevent  their  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  Indians,  one  by  one,  they  were  shot. 

When  these  horses  broke  down  and  began  to  die  off, 
it  was  decided  to  be  best  to  return  to  Fort  Massachu- 
setts in  order  to  recruit  and  also  to  allow  the  Indians 
an  opportunity  to  concentrate  their  forces,  when  an- 
other effective  blow  could  be  struck  against  them.     On 


518  TERRIBLY    COLD    WEATHER. 

his  return,  Colonel  Fauntleroy  met,  at  the  designated 
place,  Lieutenant  Beall,  who  had  managed  the  affairs 
intrusted  to  him  very  much  to  his  credit.  Having  once 
more  consolidated  his  command,  Colonel  Fauntleroy  re- 
tired to  Fort  Massachusetts,  which  he  made,  for  a  time, 
his  head-quarters. 

Kit  Carson,  the  guide  of  this  expedition,  when  after- 
wards speaking  of  it,  says,  "During  the  time  our  forces 
were  in  the  field  they  were  exposed  to  the  most  intense 
cold  weather  I  ever  remember  experiencing.  We  were 
overtaken  by  several  severe  snow-storms  which  came 
near  completely  using  us  up." 

For  the  success  that  had  so  far  attended  the  labors  of 
this  body  of  soldiers,  the  greatest  amount  of  praise  is 
due  to  their  leader,  who  set  a  noble  example  to  his 
men.  During  those  hours  when  hardships  and  trials 
came  thickest  upon  the  command,  all  eyes  were  turned 
to  the  commander,  and,  as  the  result  proved,  with  no 
lack  of  confidence.  Kit  Carson's  services  were  found 
to  be  invaluable.  His  long  experience  and  untiring 
energy  proved  to  be  one  of  the  best  anchors  of  the 
goodly  ship. 

We  should  not  omit  to  state,  in  regard  to  the  sever- 
ity of  the  cold,  that  it  was  early  in  the  morning,  just 
before  the  break  of  day,  that  the  cold  wras  invariably 
found  to  be  the  most  intense.  During  this  time,  it  is 
the  greatest  wonder  that  the  Mexicans  did  not  perish, 
for  but  few  of  them  had  more  than  one  blanket  as  a 
covering  by  night,  and  the  remainder  were  but  very 
little  better  provided  for.  When  wood  was  plenty,  and 
they  were  allowed  so  to  do,  they  made  large  fires  and 
laid  down  near  them  to  attempt  to  sleep.  After  about 
one  hour  thus  spent,  they  were  routed  out  by  being 


FREEZING    AND    THAWING    OUT.  519 

nearly  frozen.  Getting  into  close  contact  with  the  fires, 
they  would  thaw  out  and  then  were  ready  to  make  an- 
other endeavor  to  repeat  the  sleeping  operation.  In 
this  manner  they  managed  to  live  through  each  night, 
and  on  the  following  day  they  were,  apparently,  none 
the  worse  for  wear.  A  person  judging  these  men  as  he 
oftentimes  sees  them  during  the  summer  season,  bask- 
ing in  the  sunlight  on  the  sunny  side  of  their  houses  in 
New  Mexico,  w^ould  not,  for  an  instant,  suppose  that 
they  could  undergo  such  hardships  ;  and  3-et,  they  can 
do  so,  as  the  above  example  sufficiently  proves,  without 
allowing  one  murmur  of  complaint  to  escape  their  lips. 
With  the  regulars,  who  were  amply  supplied  with 
blankets  and  buffalo  robes,  it  would  appear  that  they 
could  have  obtained  sound  sleep.  But  this,  too,  proved 
to  be  almost  an  impossibility.  The  heat  of  the  man's 
body,  during  the  early  and  warmer  part  of  the  night, 
served  to  melt  the  icy  covering  of  the  mother  earth 
just  under  him.  When  the  cold  increased,  this  was 
ijgain  frozen,  rendering  the  portion  of  the  body  nearest 
to  the  ground  almost  benumbed.  By  frequently  revers- 
ing the  posture  a  little,  some  relief  from  suffering  was 
obtained  but  not  sufficient  to  reach  a  degree  which 
could  be  called  comfortable,  or,  in  the  least,  be  claimed 
as  desirable.  Every  member  of  this  expedition  can 
truthfully  assert  that  they  have  experienced  a  foretaste 
of  what  the  first  symptoms  of  freezing  to  death  must  be. 
Finally,  the  command  reached  Fort  Massachusetts, 
where,  in  ease  and  plenty,  the  half  starved,  half  frozen, 
half  used-up  men,  soon  forgot  all  their  troubles  and 
privations.  A  few  weeks  spent  at  the  fort  acted  like  a 
magic  charm  in  recruiting  the  men  and  the  remaining 
animals,  when  they  were  once  more  in  a  fit  condition, 


520        COMFORT  AND  LUXURY  IN  CAMP. 

and,  again  eager  to  go  on  the  war  path,  anxiously  de- 
siring to  surpass  the  splendid  deeds  of  their  first  tramp. 

At  the  permanent  camp  which  was  made  near  Fort 
Massachusetts,  the  Mexican  Volunteers,  especially,  en- 
joyed themselves  hugely.  From  privations  of  various 
kinds,  to  which  they  had  shown  themselves  to  be  well 
trained,  and  which  consequently  affected  them  but  lit- 
tle, they  were  suddenly  placed  in  a  state  of  compara- 
tive comfort,  and  even  luxury,  rarely  realized  at  their 
own  homes.  They  had  not  much  else  to  do  beyond 
guarding  their  animals  and  attending  to  such  other 
minor  duties  as  were  required  by  camp  duties.  Had 
not  their  hardy  ponies  required  the  rest  that  was  now 
being  given  them,  these  troops  would  have  been  kept 
in  more  active  service ;  but,  as  this  could  not  be,  they 
were  allowed  a  respite,  which  they  themselves  turned 
into  pleasure.  Foot  races  and  various  athletic  games 
were  concocted  and  played  by  them,  making  the  time 
pass  merrily  by.  Their  discipline  and  respect  for  their 
officers  had  reached  a  degree  seldom,  if  ever,  attained 
by  volunteer  soldiers,  and  which,  in  many  respects, 
could  be  imitated  with  advantage  by  regular  troops. 
But  the  time  soon  arrived  for  the  march  to  be  resumed. 

At  a  council  held  among  the  chief  officers,  it  was  de- 
cided that  the  best  and  surest  course  to  be  followed 
would  be  to  divide  the  forces  and  send  them  out  in 
quest  of  the  Indians,  as  if  they  were  separate  com- 
mands. Thus  it  might  happen  that,  being  caught  be- 
tween the  two,  as  they  were  running  from  danger  they 
would  rush  into  it  and  receive  chastisement  sufficient 
to  answer  all  purposes.  Acting  on  this  plan,  Colonel 
St.  Vrain,  with  most  of  the  Volunteers,  was  ordered  to 
proceed  in   one   direction,  while   Colonel  Fauntleroy, 


THE    VALLEY    OF    SAIST    LUIS.  521 

with  the  main  division,  started  in  another ;  while  on 
his  route,  Colonel  Faimtleroy  traveled  close  in  under 
the  mountains,  and  kept  his  men  as  much  concealed  as 
possible,  making  most  of  his  marches  by  night.  He 
traveled  through  the  Valley  of  San  Luis  up  to  its  head. 

The  Valley  of  San  Luis  is  about  one  hundred  miles 
in  length.  Its  greatest  Avidth  is  fifty  miles.  On  either 
side  it  is  bounded  by  snow-capped  mountains.  The 
scenery  of  the  valley  is  very  prepossessing,  being  sure 
to  enchant  the  eye  throughout  its  entire  length.  In 
the  south,  the  valley  is  continuous  with  prairie  land, 
which  extends  down  as  far  as  the  settlement  of  Rio 
Colorado.  It  is  well  watered  by  mountain  streams, 
and  bears  the  appearance  of  being  an  excellent  farming 
district ;  but,  the  probability  is,  that  its  climate  is  too 
cold  for  raising  crops,  and  that  its  true  value  will  be 
found  chiefly  to  consist  in  using  it  for  grazing  purposes. 
From  time  to  time  the  Indians  have  reported  that  it 
contains  gold  mines,  but  there  are  no  authentic  proofs 
that  this  is  a  fact. 

At  one  time,  the  Indians  succeeded  in  making  the 
Mexicans  converts  to  the  belief  in  the  existence  of 
these  mines,  as  they  showed  them  specimens  of  gold 
which  they  affirmed  to  have  been  taken  from  them.  It 
was  agreed  that,  for  this  valuable  information,  presents, 
such  as  blankets,  horses,  and  guns,  should  be  made  to 
those  Indians  who  had  openly  proclaimed  the  good 
news,  provided  they  could  conduct  the  Mexicans  to 
them.  A  party  was  formed  and  started  to  explore  the 
valley,  but,  as  nothing  was  afterward  heard  of  their 
success,  and,  as  many  of  them,  to  all  external  appear- 
ances, were  as  poor  as  ever  when  they  returned,  it  is 
presumed  that  they  were  duped  by  the  Indians.     The 


522  PUNCHI    PASS. 

bottom-lanrl  of  the  Rio  Grande  which  skirts  the  south' 
ern  border  of  the  valley  of  San  Luis  is,  judging  from 
the  luxuriant  hay  crops  which  it  produces,  year  by 
year,  a  fine  farming  section. 

While  passing  up  the  valley  of  San  Luis,  Colonel 
Fauntleroy  came  to  the  Punchi  Pass.  This  pass  is  the 
main  opening  through  the  mountains  which  bound  the 
valley  of  San  Luis  on  the  north.  The  pass  itself  is  less 
than  half  a  mile  wide,  but  yet  it  presents  some  of  the 
grandest  scenery  human  eyes  ever  beheld.  The  moun- 
tains, on  either  side,  are  not  so  lofty  as  their  compeers 
close  by,  but  they  are  rugged  and  picturesque.  Through 
the  pass  runs  a  bold  stream,  which,  at  about  midway 
(and  at  this  time)  was  obstructed  by  a  beaver  dam, 
that  was  so  scientifically  constructed  as  immediately  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  entire  party.  Near  to  this 
dam  there  is  a  very  large  hot  spring,  which  is  located 
close  under  the  base  of  one  of  the  mountain  sides,  and 
which,  under  the  favorable  circumstance  of  a  fine  day, 
lends  enchantment  to  the  view.  The  Punchi  Pass  is 
but  a  few  miles  long,  and  leads  into  a  beautiful  little 
valley,  called  by  the  Mexicans  after  the  same  name 
which  is  given  to  the  pass. 

On  arriving  at  the  Punchi  Pass,  Colonel  Fauntleroy 
proceeded  on  through  it  to  the  head-waters  of  the 
Arkansas  River,  where,  fortunately,  a  fresh  trail  made 
by  the  Indians  was  found.  This  trail  was  followed 
with  such  assiduity  and  prudence  that  the  camp  of 
some  spies  belonging  to  the  enemy,  and  which  was  in 
their  rear,  was  passed  by  the  Americans  one  night 
without  their  presence  being  noticed.  Early  the  en- 
suing morning  (before  the  break  of  day),  the  main 
village  of  the  Indians  was  discovered.     Its   occupants 


SACKING   AN   INDIAN   VILLAGE.  523 

were  enjoying  a  war  and  scalp  dance,  and  their  voices, 
as  engaged  in  the  song  which  usually  accompanies  such 
festivities,  could  be  heard  for  a  distance  of  at  least  a 
mile.  Unconscious  of  danger,  they  were  having  a 
merry  time.  One  can  imagine,  better  than  can  be  de- 
scribed, the  scene  that  followed  when  three  hundred 
loaded  rifles  poured  their  contents  into  this  crowd. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  among  those  who  survived  this 
terrible  retribution,  the  greatest  consternation  pre- 
vailed ;  but,  as  a  dernier  resort,  they  began  to  fly, 
whe:  'hey  were  hotly  pursued  by  the  soldiers.  Be- 
fore quitting  their  late  camp,  some  of  the  savages  had 
managed  to  get  their  own  rifles,  and  with  them  to  fire 
several  shots  which  did  some  execution,  as  two  soldiers 
were  killed  and  two  wounded. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  main  village  of  these 
Apaches  and  Utahs  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 
It  proved  to  be  rich  in  plunder,  for  it  contained  all  their 
stock  of  dried  buffalo  meat,  besides  other  provisions. 
Also,  several  cart-loads  of  robes,  saddles,  weapons, 
ropes,  skins,  blankets,  trinkets  and  camp  equipage. 
Most  of  this  property  was  collected  and  destroyed  by 
fire,  being  of  little  use  to  the  command,  whose  means 
of  conveyance  were  limited  to  their  own  actual  wants. 
The  number  of  Indians  killed  in  this  surprise  has  been 
variously  estimated,  as  has  been  also  the  number  of 
the  red  men  on  the  ground  when  the  carnage  com- 
menced ;  but  all  agree  that  this  was  the  severest  blow 
these  savages  had  ever  received. 

Among  the  many  other  objects  of  curiosity  found  by 
the  victors,  was  a  "  Medicine  lodge,"  which  had,  from  ap- 
pearance, but  recently  been  in  full  blast.  It  was  highly 
(and  to  Indian  eyes  it  must  have  been  very  artistically) 


524  A    CAPTURED    MEDICINE    LODGE. 

decorated,  and  contained  all  the  emblems  and  symbols 
of  witchcraft.  If  sickness  was  to  be  frightened  away. 
or  even  coaxed  to  dethrone  itself  from  the  afflicted, 
there  was  sufficient  in  this  temple  of  the  Indian  gods, 
seemingly,  to  have  answered  either  purpose.  Some 
potentate  of  the  magnitude  of  a  great  chief  had.  evi- 
dently, but  a  few  hours  since,  been  its  occupant ;  for, 
in  his  hurry  to  desert  the  premises,  on  hearing  the 
music  of  the  white  man's  rifle,  he  had  forgotten  his 
beautiful  head-dress  of  feathers,  and  other  articles  per- 
taining to  his  wardrobe,  which  designated  to  the  cap- 
tors his  high  rank.  Perhaps,  and  the  surmise  may  not 
be  far  out  of  the  way,  this  chief  was  suffering  from  a 
gunshot  wound  inflicted  in  a  recent  fight  by  his  pale- 
faced  enemy,  and  having  received  one  of  their  most 
dangerous  potions  of  lead,  he  was  not  anxious  for 
another,  and  therefore  made  his  escape  with  the  activity 
of  a  well  man. 

In  this  expedition,  a  company  of  artillery,*  who 
have  before  been  described,  doing  duty  as  infantry, 
performed  a  feat  that  will  compare  well  with  anything 
of  the  same  kind  on  record.  These  men,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Beall,  who  shared  all  the  pri- 
vations of  his  soldiers,  marched  on  foot  through  a  mix- 
ture of  mud  and  snow,  nearly  ankle  deep,  over  an 
uneven  country,  from  the  Mosco  Pass  in  the  Valley  of 
San  Luis,  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Arkansas  River,  a 
distance  which  is  computed  at  eighty-five  miles,  in 
thirty-six  hours,  including  all  their  stoppages.  This 
company  had  been  long  celebrated  as  being  expert 
marksmen,  therefore  their  services  were  much  needed 
when   the   Indian  village   was    discovered.     Although 

*  Company  D,  2d  Kegiment  U.  S.  Artillery. 


SUEING    FOR    PEACE.  525 

nearly  broken  down  with  fatigue,  yet  as  soon  as  the 
electrifying  news  of  the  enemy  being  so  near  at  hand 
reached  them,  it  seemed  to  inspire  them  with  new 
vigor.  They  dashed  ahead,  and  gallantly  led  the  van 
in  this  assault,  which  terminated  so  favorably  to  the 
side  of  the  Americans. 

Colonel  Fauntleroy  was  not  satisfied  with  the  vic- 
tory already  obtained;  but,  after  having  accomplished 
all  that  was  possible  for  him  in  this  quarter,  and  hav- 
ing scattered  the  Indians  to  the  four  winds,  he  deter- 
mined to  make  forced  marches  in  order  to  surprise  an- 
other band  of  them,  who  were  supposed  to  be  located  in 
a  distant  mountain  haunt  well  known  to  his  guide.  His 
object  in  thus  hurrying  away  from  the  scenes  of  his 
late  triumph,  was  to  reach  and  surprise  the  Indians  be- 
fore their  friends  had  time  to  travel  to  and  apprise  them 
of  their  defeat.  In  this  manoeuvre  he  was  also  suc- 
cessful. He  came  upon  this  second  band  also  before 
they  were  aware  of  their  danger.  They  were  routed, 
and  after  severe  loss  were  followed  far  into  the  moun- 
tains. At  this  camp,  Blanco,  the  celebrated  Apache 
chief,  was  driven  to  such  close  quarters  that  he  evi- 
dently began  to  feel  that  the  safety  of  his  whole  tribe 
stood  in  jeopardy.  He  made  his  appearance  on  a  high 
point  of  rocks,  and  asked  the  white  men  who  occupied 
the  plain  beneath  for  a  parley,  which  was  granted  him. 

He  said,  in  the  Spanish  language,  that  he  and  his 
Indians  wished  to  make  peace ;  that  they  were  tired 
of  fighting.  In  reply,  he  was  informed  that  the  terms 
he  demanded  would  be  listened  to  on  his  coming:  into 
the  soldiers'  camp.  He  was  going  on  to  say  that  he 
was  afraid  to  trust  himself  there,  when  a  bullet  was 
sent  whizzing  by  his  head,  which  caused  him  to  de- 


526  AMONG    THE    PHILISTINES. 

camp  in  all  haste.  It  was  ascertained,  afterwards,  that 
a  Mexican,  who  had  great  antipathy  to  this  chief,  had, 
unknown  to  the  rest  of  the  party,  crept  secretly  up 
into  the  rocks.  When  he  had  reached  a  place  where 
Blanco  was  within  the  range  of  his  rifle,  he  fired ;  but, 
as  the  reader  has  inferred,  he  missed  an  accurate  aim. 

At  this  latter  camp  or  village,  and  near  the  close  of 
this  same  day,  another  incident  happened  which  will 
long  be  remembered  by  those  who  witnessed  it.  Two 
Indians,  who  probably  had  been  absent  to  some  distant 
section  of  the  country,  having  no  knowledge  of  the 
matters  which  had  lately  been  transpiring,  were  seen 
approaching.  Gradually  they  drew  near  to  a  grove  of 
cotton-wood  trees  in  which  the  soldiers  were  resting, 
thinking,  no  doubt,  that  they  were  about  to  meet  their 
friends.  A  mountaineer  by  the  name  of  Stewart,  who 
commanded  the  spy  company,  and  another  man,  one 
of  the  Mexican  volunteers,  immediately  on  seeing  the 
Indians,  sprang  upon  the  backs  of  their  horses  which 
chanced  to  be  near  by,  and  started  out  to  attack  them. 
Not  until  these  Indians  saw  the  men  advancing,  were 
they  made  aware  of  their  danger  ;  when  instantly  they 
turned  around  their  animals,  and  put  them  on  a  keen 
run  for  the  nearest  mountain.  They  were  pursued,  and 
the  race  hotly  contested  for  at  least  two  miles  ;  but 
the  Indians  succeeded  in  making  their  escape,  although 
shots  were  fired  at  them,  and  returned  by  the  Indians. 
In  doing  so,  one  of  them  was  obliged  to  dismount  and 
leave  his  horse  behind  him,  which  fell  into  the  hands 
of  his  pursuers. 

At  the  time  that  the  chief  Blanco  was  endeavoring 
to  gain  a  parley,  a  stirring  scene  was  being  enacted  at 
the   soldiers'   camp,  which   was   several   miles   distant. 


just  m  time.  527 

Most  of  the  soldiers  had  left  it,  and  were  then  out  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  scouring  the  country.  In  the 
camp  there  were  all  the  pack  animals,  provisions,  lug- 
gage, etc.,  of  the  command.  To  guard  this  property 
there  were  only  about  fifty  men  left,  who,  anticipa- 
ting no  danger,  were  employing  themselves  in  cooking 
and  otherwise  providing  for  the  wants  of  their  absent 
friends  against  their  return.  The  herd  of  mules  was 
scattered  about,  and  grazing  under  the  charge  of  a  few 
herders.  Suddenly  a  band  of  about  one  hundred  war- 
riors were  discovered  coining  down  the  little  valley 
where  the  camp  was  located.  The  alarm  was  given, 
when  each  man,  seizing  his  rifle,  rushed  to  place  him- 
self in  the  line  of  sentinels  which  were  forming  around 
the  property.  The  mules  were  quickly  driven  together 
in  a  compact  body  into  the  centre  of  the  camp.  Hardly 
had  this  movement  been  performed,  before  the  red  men 
came  galloping  by.  Seeing  the  smallness  of  the  force 
opposed  to  them,  they  made  two  or  three  attempts  at 
an  attack  on  the  weakest  points  of  the  line.  They 
were  about  to  succeed,  when  a  shout  went  up  from  the 
Americans,  who  descried  relief  in  the  shape  of  the  foot 
company,  which,  having  been  left  behind  for  one  night 
in  order  to  make  easy  marches  and  thus  partially  rest 
themselves,  was  now  approaching.  The  Indians  saw 
the  near  approach  of  this  powerful  re-inforcement,  and, 
using  that  discretion  which  is  often  the  better  part  of 
valor,  they  started  off  and  were  soon  lost  sight  of.  Had 
not  this  re-inforcement  providentially  thus  arrived,  the 
Indians  would  have  certainly  captured  the  pack  mules 
belonging  to  the  soldiers  and  got  away  with  them.  Never 
was  succor  hailed  with  more  delight  than  on  this  occa- 
sion ;  for,  had  the  red  men  succeeded  in  this  endeavor, 


628  PEAIRIE    ON   FIRE. 

the  benefits  of  this  whole  campaign  would  have  been 
greatly  frustrated. 

Colonel  Fauntleroy,  after  thoroughly  scouring  the 
adjacent  country  in  the  hope  of  meeting  with  parties 
of  straggling  Indians,  but,  as  the  result  proved,  without 
success,  returned  to  Fort  Massachusetts,  where  he  had 
the  satisfaction  of  learning  that  Colonel  St.  Vrain,  in 
his  expedition,  had  caught  other  bands  of  these  same 
Indians,  and  most  severely  chastised  them. 

The  Fort  Massachusetts  here  referred  to,  was  aban- 
doned some  years  ago,  and  another  one  has  been  built, 
distant  about  six  miles  from  the  original  site.  The 
name  is  retained  for  the  new  defences,  which  are  lo- 
cated on  the  river  Trinchera.  The  present  location  is 
picturesque  and  beautiful  in  the  extreme. 

In  one  of  his  fights,  Colonel  St.  Vrain  had  overtaken 
the  red  men  on  the  prairies,  where  a  running  battle 
ensued,  in  which  the  volunteers  killed  many  of  the 
enemy,  and  made  several  prisoners.  During  this  skir- 
mish the  Indians  tried  the  ruse  of  setting  fire  to  the 
prairie  grass,  and,  as  the  wind  was  blowing  in  the  di- 
rection from  whence  their  foes  were  coming,  they 
hoped  thereby  to  impede  their  progress,  and  thus  give 
themselves  time  to  escape ;  but  the  volunteers  boldly 
rode  through  the  flames,  and  successfully  continued  the 
chase. 

The  time  for  which  the  New  Mexican  volunteers  had 
enlisted,  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close  ;  but,  as  the  hostile 
Utahs  and  Apaches  were  scattered  to  the  four  winds,  it 
was  thought  best  not  to  send  out  again  a  regularly  ap- 
pointed force  to  act  against  them.  Instead,  while  await- 
ing the  effect  of  their  late  telling  blows,  it  was  decided 
to  be  judicious  to  keep  out,  in  different  directions,  small 


THE  "wagon  mound."  529 

scouting  parties,  who  could  better  follow  the  trails  of 
the  small  parties  of  fugitive  Indians  with  some  pros- 
pect of  success.  It  was  now  the  season  for  the  richly 
laden  caravans  to  arrive  on  the  borders  of  the  territory, 
and  perchance  they  might  fall  in  with  bands  of  the  hos- 
tile savages  of  sufficient  strength  to  cause  them  trouble ; 
or,  it  might  be,  the  Indians  would  combine  in  sufficient 
strength,  being  driven  by  pressing  want,  to  capture  some 
one  of  these  trains,  and  thus  obtain  the  material  for  re- 
newing the  contest.  In  view  of  these  apprehensions, 
it  was  decided  that  the  regular  troops  should  go  out  on 
the  plains,  where  they  could  be  on  hand  ready  to  afford 
protection  in  case  of  need.  Major  Blake,  in  command 
of  the  dragoons,  started  out  and  faithfully  performed 
this  mission.  After  this  duty  was  fully  accomplished, 
he  visited  the  mountains  to  the  north-east  of  Fort  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  then  returned  to  Taos  via  the  fort  and 
the  intervening  Mexican  towns. 

While  intimating  the  dangers  which  may  befall  trains 
on  their  journey  across  the  plains,  especially  in  time  of 
Indian  war,  it  may  be  well  to  narrate  a  fatal  adventure 
which  once  happened  to  a  mail  party  while  traveling  this 
route.  Not  many  miles  from  Fort  Union,  and  on  the 
plains,  there  is  a  clump  of  hills  known  as  the  "Wagon 
Mound,"  so  called  from  their  resemblance  to  one  of 
those  peculiar  wagons  which  are  used  to  transport  valu- 
able freight  across  the  country.  It  being  dangerous 
times,  a  party  of  ten  picked  men  had  been  sent  out  to 
insure  the  safe  transit  of  the  mail.  Everything  went 
well  with  the  little  band  of  travelers,  and  their  pros- 
pects were  becoming  bright  for  making  a  safe  journey, 
when,  suddenly,  a  large  band  of  hostile  Apaches  and 
Utahs  hove  in  sight.     The  mail  party,  on  making  this 


530  FEARFUL    MASSACRE. 

discovery,  immediately  halted  and  prepared  for  a  fight. 
The  Indians  very  soon  granted  to  them  this  favor.  At 
first,  the  attack  was  sharply  maintained,  but,  at  last, 
fortune  favored  the  whites,  for  the  time  being,  and  they 
succeeded  in  repulsing  their  foes,  who  retreated  out  of 
sight.  The  mail  party  being  thus  freed  from  the  un- 
pleasant society  of  the  Indians,  at  once  hitched  up  their 
teams  and  proceeded  on  their  route.  It  was  afterwards 
learned  that  the  Apaches  made  the  first  attack,  but 
they  were  countenanced  by  the  Utahs,  who  remained 
close  by.  On  the  return  of  the  unsuccessful  war  party 
of  Apaches  to  the  Utahs,  the  latter  at  once  com- 
menced charging  them  with  cowardice,  and  boasted 
that  they  could  have  done  better.  The  true  state  of 
the  case  was,  that  the  Utahs  were  using  the  Apaches  as 
tools  by  which  to  gain  plunder,  crying  "go  dog,"  while 
they  themselves  were  keeping  out  of  harm's  way.  The 
anger  of  the  Apaches  was  fully  aroused  at  these  deri- 
sive imputations.  Under  the  new  impulse,  they  said  to 
the  Utahs,  "If  you  will  help,  we  will  return  and  show 
you  whether  we  are  afraid  to  meet  these  pale-faces." 
Another  attack  having  been  decided  upon,  the  Indians 
set  out  and  overtook  the  mail  party  once  more  near 
to  this  "  Wagon  Mound."  It  was  snowing  fast  at 
the  time,  therefore  the  white  men  were  comfortably 
traveling  in  their  vehicles  and  had  their  guns  protected 
with  suitable  coverings  to  prevent  their  being  injured, 
for  they  anticipated  no  further  danger.  The  curtains  of 
the  mail  wagons  were  all  fastened  down,  and  there  was 
no  look-out  kept,  for  it  was  considered  sufficient  to  pre- 
pare for  the  furies  of  the  storm.  The  Indians  accord- 
ingly approached  unperceived,  and  made  such  a  desper- 
ate attack  that  all  the  white  men  were  quickly  killed. 


DIED    FROM    OVER-EATING.  531 

Not  one,  if  the  boasts  of  the  Indians  can  be  believed, 
had  time  to  get  out  from  his  seat.  Several  days  elapsed 
and  no  tidings  were  heard  of  the  expected  mail  party  J 
therefore  a  body  of  men  started  out  in  quest  of  the  miss- 
ing men,  and  found  them  sleeping  the  last  sleep  which 
knows  no  awakening;.  The  bodies  of  the  dead  were 
decently  interred;  and,  since  that  day,  the  "Wagon 
Mound  "  is  pointed  out  to  the  traveler,  accompanied 
with  an  historical  account  of  this  awful  tragedy. 

During  the  campaign  under  consideration,  several 
Indian  children  were  captured.  These  were  generally 
under  the  age  of  ten  years.  They  could  not  stand  the 
kindly -planned  treatment  which  they  received  while  in 
bondage,  for  many  of  them  died  from  over-eating,  after 
having  so  long  been  accustomed  to  Indian  frugality. 
One  of  the  women  prisoners  taken  openly  declared,  and 
there  is  no  reason  why  she  should  not  be  believed,  that 
many  of  the  younger  children  belonging  to  her  tribe  had 
been  strangled  by  their  parents  and  friends  in  order  to 
prevent  their  becoming  an  inconvenience,  and  thus  pre- 
vent their  being  able  to  prosecute  the  war,  thereby  show- 
ing that  their  hatred  of  the  white  man  was  deeply  rooted, 
and  that  their  anger  had  been  aroused  to  its  highest 
degree.  On  the  publishing  of  peace,  those  Indian  chil- 
dren who  still  lived,  were  collected,  and,  through  the 
Indian  agents,  restored  to  their  relatives  and  friends. 
The  good  effect  which  the  moral  of  this  campaign  had 
on  the  surrounding  Indian  nations  cannot  be  denied. 
They  soon  became  loud  in  proclaiming  their  friendships 
for  the  Americans.  Taking  advantage  of  the  now  crip- 
pled condition  of  the  Utahs  and  Apaches,  their  enemies, 
the  Arrapahoes  and  Cheyennes,  were  ready  to  pounce 
upon  them  at  a  moment's  warning.     The  opportunity 

31 


532  A    NOBLE    CHIEFTAIN. 

did  not,  however,  present  itself  until  long  after  peace 
had  been  established  with  the  white  men,  when  the 
Utahs  and  Apaches  had  been  able  to  recover  from  their 
losses  and  collect  again. 

War  party  after  war  party  of  Cheyennes  and  Arrap- 
ahoes  entered  the  country  of  their  old  enemies,  the 
Apaches  and  Utahs,  but  returned  unable  to  find  them. 
Yellow  Bear,  a  head  war  chief  of  the  Arrapahoes,  did 
not  accompany  his  braves  on  these  expeditions,  and  he 
would  not  believe  that  they  could  not  find  either  the 
Apaches  or  Utahs ;  therefore,  to  show  his  people  that 
there  was  one  warrior  living  of  the  olden  stamp,  he 
started,  accompanied  only  by  his  youngest  squaw,  to 
meet  and  fight  them.  A  severe  snow-storm  compelled 
this  noble  chieftain  to  come  into  Fort  Massachusetts. 
While  he  was  there,  the  commanding  officer  of  the  post 
endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  his  rash  undertaking. 
In  reply  the  chief  said  : 

'*  Captain,  my  young  men  are  no  longer  warriors. 
They  have  become  squaws.  I  sent  them  to  seek  our  na- 
tion's enemies.  They  went,  discovered  their  fires  and 
counted  their  lodges,  but  were  afraid  to  attack  them. 
I  am  now  on  my  way  to  find  the  Utah  village,  where  I 
intend,  either  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace,  or  offer  fight 
to  any  three  of  their  chiefs.  If  they  kill  me  otherwise 
than  fairly,  perhaps  it  will  stir  up  once  more  the  fire 
in  the  breast  of  the  warriors  of  the  Arrapahoe  nation." 

This  speech  was  delivered  with  so  much  pathos,  and 
yet  with  such  an  oratorical  air,  that  the  interpreter  was 
enabled  to  catch  and  translate  every  word  of  it.  Yel- 
low Bear  was  now  informed  of  the  recent  campaign 
against  the  Utahs  and  Apaches,  but  the  news  made 
no    change    in    his    determination.     The    advice    was 


A    MASTERPIECE    OF   ACTING.  533 

thrown  away,  as  he  was  found  conversant  with  the 
whole  proceedings  of  the  campaign.  We  have  brought 
in  this  incident  to  show  how  surrounding  tribes  are  di- 
rectly affected  and  personally  interested  in  the  results 
of  all  military  transactions  with  hostile  Indians.  As 
we  have  taken  up  for  a  theme  the  story  of  this  brave 
and  really  noble  Indian,  it  may  prove  interesting  to 
some  of  our  readers  if  we  complete  the  picture.  Yel- 
low Bear  was  always  the  firm  friend  of  Kit  Carson,  both 
by  word  and  action.  He  was  the  finest  specimen  of 
an  Indian  that  the  writer  ever  laid  eyes  on.  He  stood 
in  his  moccasins  over  six  feet ;  straight  and  symmetri- 
cally proportioned.  The  head,  however,  was  the  main 
attraction  of  this  Indian.  Never  was  a  statesman  pos- 
sessed of  a  better.  We  once  heard  him  address  a  large 
council  of  his  warriors,  and,  although  we  could  not  un- 
derstand one  word  he  said,  yet  our  attention  was  fixed 
on  the  man,  for  we  never  saw,  either  before  or  since, 
such  majestic  gestures,  mixed  with  equal  grace,  in  any 
speaker.  It  was  a  masterpiece  of  acting,  and  from  the 
"humphs,"  or  grunts,  ejaculated  by  his  auditors,  we 
were  inclined  to  think  that  the  speech  wras  impressive. 
There  was  one  great  point  about  this  chief,  which  those 
who  are  familiar  with  the  Indian  race,  as  they  now  ex- 
ist, cannot  but  admire.  He  was  never  known  to  beg; 
rather  than  do  this,  we  believe,  he  would  have  actually 
starved.  We  will  finish  this  description  of  Yellow  Bear 
by  adding  that  he  finally  listened  to  the  advice  of  the 
then  commanding  officer  of  Fort  Massachusetts,  and 
returned  to  his  own  nation. 

On  the  final  arrival  at  Taos  of  the  troops  engaged  in 
this  brilliant  Indian  campaign  against  the  Utahs  and 
Apaches,  they  received  orders  to  disband.    Those  whose 


534  INDIANS    SUEING   FOR    PEACE. 

calling  was  arms,  returned  to  their  respective  military 
posts,  while  the  New  Mexicans  scattered  to  seek  their 
homes,  where  they  were  received  and  justly  treated  as 
heroes.  Before  the  forces  were  dispersed,  the  Pueblo 
Indians,  who  had  been  employed  in  the  sp}^  companies, 
gave,  with  the  aid  of  their  friends,  by  moonlight,  a 
grand  war-dance  entertainment  in  the  plaza  of  the 
town.  It  proved  a  fine  display  of  this  time-honored 
Indian  custom. 

The  combined  efforts  of  the  two  commanders,  Col- 
onel Fauntleroy  and  Lieutenant -Colonel  St.  Vrain, 
aided  by  their  followers,  among  whom  Kit  Carson 
played  a  most  conspicuous  and  important  part,  had  the 
effect  to  compel  the  Indians  to  send  a  delegate  to  Santa 
Fe,  commissioned  to  sue  for  peace.  Peace  was  finally 
granted,  which  formed  a  most  happy  and  pleasing  ter- 
mination to  this  brilliant  Indian  campaign. 

It  proved  afterwards  that  a  great  mistake  was  made 
in  hastily  allowing  these  Indians  to  evade  the  punish- 
ment they  so  richly  deserved,  and  which  was  being  so 
summarily  inflicted,  by  entertaining  so  soon  conciliatory 
measures.  At  the  council  that  was  subsequently  held, 
it  was  found  that  only  a  part  of  the  Apaches  were  pres- 
ent to  sanction  the  proceedings,  and  that  the  remain- 
der were  still  in  the  mountains,  and  were  either  hostile 
or  undecided  what  course  they  would  pursue.  Kit  Car- 
son, their  agent,  was  at  the  meeting,  and  earnestly 
opposed  the  policy  of  making  a  treaty  so  long  as  any 
portion  of  the  two  nations  were  insubordinate,  as  it 
offered  a  loop-hole  for  those  present  to  creep  out  when- 
ever they  were  so  inclined.  He  said  "  that  now  was 
the  time,  if  ever,  when  they  might,  at  a  small  additional 
expense,  and  with  the  prospect  of  saving  many  valuable 


WEAK   DIPLOMACY.  535 

lives,  show  these  Indians  that  they  were  dealing  with 
a  powerful  government."  His  voice  and  experience 
were  overruled  by  the  other  officials  present,  and  the 
treaty  was  made.  It  stipulated  that  the  Indians  should 
receive  cer  cain  sums  annually  in  case  they  would  settle 
down  and  commence  farming,  and  that  they  should  be 
allowed  to  select  their  own  locality,  within  certain  pre- 
scribed limits.  The  making  of  such  offers  to  tribes  of  sav- 
ages half  subdued  is  absurd.  The  wisdom  of  this  asser- 
tion  has  since  been  clearly  shown,  for  hardly  one  article 
contained  in  the  treaty  there  made  has  been  carried  out. 
The  actions  of  those  Apaches  present  at  the  council 
were  trifling  in  the  extreme,  notwithstanding  which, 
they  were  presented  with  some  cattle.  These  they  ob- 
jected to  receiving,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  not 
fat  enough  to  suit  their  fastidious  tastes.  They  inso- 
lently addressed  the  Government  officials  in  the  follow- 
ing strain  :  "  If  you  do  not  give  us  better,  we  will  again 
take  the  road  where  we  can  have  our  choice." 

The  fact  was,  that  these  half-starved  rascals  saw  that 
the  white  men  were  anxious  to  make  peace,  and  hence 
they  assumed  a  haughty  air  in  order  to  drive  a  good 
bargain. 

The  great  results  which  should  have  been  brought 
about  by  the  teachings  of  Colonels  Fauntleroy  and  St. 
Yrain,  by  this  weak  diplomacy,  were  more  or  less  frus- 
trated. These  gentlemen,  however,  had  won  great  re- 
nown. They  had  the  savages  driven  to  such  extremes 
that  one  more  expedition,  led  by  them  in  person,  would 
have  subdued  all  their  obstinacy,  and  made  them  over- 
anxious for  peace.  The  Indians  had  been  seven  times 
caught,  and,  on  every  one  of  the  occasions,  they  had 
been   greatly  worsted.      They  had  lost  at   least  five 


536  KIFLE    ARGUMENTS    NEEDED. 

hundred  horses,  all  their  camp  equipage,  ammunition, 
provisions,  and  most  of  their  arms,  and  were  indeed 
almost  at  the  mercy  of  the  whites.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances they  should  have  been  shown  true  mag- 
nanimity and  greatness,  by  forcing  them  into  that 
course  which  was  and  is  for  their  own  welfare  as  well 
as  the  welfare  e  the  country,  and  against  which  they 
themselves  so  blindly  contend.  Say  to  an  Indian,  that 
ere  many  years  have  passed  by,  the  buffalo  will  all  be 
destroyed,  and  he  will  answer  you  "  that  the  '  Great 
Spirit '  rains  them  down  in  the  mountain  for  his  red 
children."  This  is  a  fair  example  of  the  manner  in 
which  most  of  them  listen  to  the  voice  of  reason.  It 
requires  practical  and  active  demonstrations,  by  means 
of  rifles  and  other  weapons,  to  teach  them  that  they 
will  not  be  permitted  to  plunder  and  murder  at  pleas- 
ure. The  wrong  of  this  conduct  they  are  as  well  aware 
of  as  their  white  brethren.  It  is  by  rifle  arguments  that 
their  treaties  become  worth  the  value  of  the  paper  upon 
which  they  are  written. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  people  who  live  in  Indian 
countries  prefer  to  have  the  red  men  at  war,  rather  than 
bound  to  peace  by  such  slender  ties  as  they  are  usually 
called  upon  to  take  upon  themselves.  In  the  former 
case,  the  settler  knows  what  to  expect,  and  is  always 
prepared  for  the  worst,  so  far  as  it  lies  in  his  power ; 
but,  in  the  latter  position,  he  is  continually  exposed  to 
the  caprices  of  a  race  who  are  in  many  respects  as 
changeable  as  the  very  air  they  breathe. 

In  the  old  Mexican  town  of  Don  Fernandez  de  Taos, 
as  we  have  before  said,  resided  Kit  Carson.  A  stranger 
entering  this  town,  and  especially  at  a  little  distance 
from  it,  is  reminded  of  a  number  of  brick-kilns  just  pre- 


KIT  CARSON'S  HOME  AT  TAOS,  NEW  MEXICO. 


THE    HOME    OF    KIT    CARSON.  539 

vious  to  being  burnt,  and  all  huddled  together  without 
any  regard  being  paid  to  symmetry.  In  order  to  reach 
the  Plaza,  which  is  the  main  feature  of  attraction  be- 
longing to  the  town,  the  traveler  is  obliged  to  follow 
the  crooks  and  turns  of  several  unattractive  streets. 
The  home  of  Kit  Carson  faced  on  the  west  side  of  this 
public  square.  It  was  a  building  only  one  story  in 
height ;  but,  as  it  extended  over  a  considerable  space 
of  ground,  it  made  up  in  part  this  defect,  and  within, 
it  was  surpassed  by  but  few  other  houses  in  the  coun- 
try, for  the  degree  of  comfort  which  it  furnished  to  its 
occupants.  On  most  any  fair  day,  around  the  doors  of 
this  house  might  be  seen  many  Indians  of  various  tribes, 
who  were  either  waiting  for  their  companions  within, 
or  else  for  the  opportunity  to  present  itself  so  that  they 
themselves  could  enter. 

Business  or  no  business  to  transact  with  Kit  Carson, 
they  could  not  come  to  town  without  visiting  "  Father 
Kit,"  and  having  a  smoke  and  talk  with  him.  Kit  Car- 
son enjoyed  himself  in  their  society,  for  his  heart  and 
hand  had  long  since  taught  them  that,  irrespective  of 
the  office  which  he  held  towards  them,  he  wTas  their 
true  friend  and  benefactor.  Never  was  his  patience 
exhausted  by  their  lengthy  visits.  He  listened  to  their 
narrations  of  grievances,  which  they  laid  freely  before 
him  for  his  counsel,  even  in  matters  exclusively  per- 
sonal. Being  familiar  with  all  those  things  which  would 
in  the  least,  touch  their  feelings  and  make  them  inter- 
ested, he  found  no  difficulty  in  entering  into  the  spirit 
of  their  affairs,  in  a  manner  that  exactly  suited  their 
tastes.  This  caused  them  to  look  upon  him  in  the  same 
light  as  they  would  upon  some  brave  and  experienced 
chief  of  their  own  race. 


540  EECEIYED    WITH   MARKED   EESPECT. 

Kit  Carson  took  every  opportunity  to  warn  the  In- 
dians against  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks,  and  showed 
them  by  his  own  example,  that  "  fire  water"  was  a  dan- 
gerous luxury  which  man  does  not  require,  and  in  which 
he  should  not  indulge.  Notwithstanding  his  best  ef- 
forts, now  and  then  they  got  under  its  influence.  On 
becoming  sober,  they  were  so  ashamed  of  their  conduct 
that  they  would  often  keep  clear  of  their  agent  until 
they  thought  he  had  forgotten  the  occurrence.  Kit 
Carson,  to  a  certain  extent,  treated  Indians  as  a  wise 
father  does  his  own  children  ;  hence,  he  won  their  re- 
spect as  well  as  confidence,  which  fact  gave  him  more 
influence  over  them  than  any  other  man  in  the  country 
where  he  lived.  When  Kit  Carson  entered  the  various 
villages  of  the  Indians  under  his  supervision,  he  was 
invariably  received  with  the  most  marked  attention. 
Having  selected  the  warrior  whose  guest  he  intended 
to  be,  he  accompanied  him  to  his  lodge,  which  was 
known  during  his  stay  as  the  "soldiers'  lodge."  He 
gave  himself  no  concern  about  his  horse,  saddle,  bridle, 
rifle,  or  any  minor  thing.  The  brave  whom  he  had  thus 
honored,  considered  that  he  had  assumed  the  responsi- 
bility of  a  "  soldier,"  and  so  styled  himself.  This  mak- 
ing of  a  "  soldier,"  is  no  every  day  business  with  the 
Indians.  It  is  only  when  they  are  visited  by  some 
great  personage  for  whom  they  have  the  greatest  re- 
spect, that  this  ceremony  is  gone  through  with.  When 
thus  favored,  the  "soldier"  at  once  becomes  the  sworn 
friend  of  the  white  man  who  occupies  his  lodge,  and 
will  fight  and  die  for  him  even  against  his  own  brethren. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  Kit  Carson,  that  Indians  should 
not  be  allowed  to  come,  when  it  pleases  them,  into  the 
settlements.     Every  visit  which  they  thus  make  is  det- 


A    KIND    AND    INDULGENT    FATHER.  541 

rimental  to  them  in  many  wa}*s.  He  thought  that  the 
time  thus  spent  could  be  better  employed  in  hunting, 
or  otherwise  providing  for  the  wants  of  their  families. 
In  the  towns  of  the  frontiers  they  do  nothing  but  beg 
and  learn  the  vices  of  the  white  man,  which,  added  to 
their  own,  make  them  as  dangerous  and  wicked  as  men 
can  be.  In  lieu  thereof,  he  advised  that  mission  and 
agency  houses  should  be  established  in  their  midst, 
when  supplies  should  be  furnished  to  them  in  a  time  of 
need.  As  matters  stand  now,  the  Indians,  during  a  se- 
vere winter,  or  from  some  unforeseen  accident,  are 
liable  to  become  suddenly  destitute.  They  are  then 
compelled  either  to  starve  or  to  make  inroads  upon  the 
property  of  the  settlers  on  the  frontiers.  Besides  his 
Indian  friends,  Kit  Carson  was  surrounded  by  a  host  of 
Mexicans  and  Americans,  to  whom  he  had  greatly  en- 
deared himself.  To  his  children  Kit  Carson  was  a  kind 
and  indulgent  father,  and  to  best  illustrate  his  self-sac- 
rificing attachment  for  them,  it  is  only  necessary  to  re- 
late one  striking  incident  of  its  proof.  A  few  years 
since,  he  was  returning  to  Taos  from  Rayado,  whither 
he  had  been  on  a  visit  in  company  with  his  wife, 
two  children,  and  two  servants  (a  Mexican  man  and 
woman).  The  party  had  completed  the  first  half  of 
their  journey,  and  were  jogging  along  over  a  tract  of 
prairie  land  that  was  of  considerable  extent,  when  sud- 
denly Kit  Carson  discovered,  far  off,  a  band  of  about 
forty  Indians.  Being  so  exposed  he  at  once  concluded 
that  he  also  had  been  seen,  for  while  he  was  looking 
he  thought  he  could  see  the  speed  of  their  riding  ani- 
mals increase.  The  glaring  rays  of  the  sun  impeded 
his  view,  so  that  he  could  not  discern  at  such  a  dis- 
tance, either  from  their  dress  or  appearance,  to  what 


542  PROTECTING    WIFE    AND    CHILDREN. 

tribe  they  belonged.  He  was  in  a  section  of  country 
that  was  frequently  visited  by  the  marauding  Caman- 
ches,  and,  as  their  signs  had  been  recently  seen  in  the 
neighborhood,  he  made  up  his  mind  that  it  was  a  band 
of  this  tribe  that  he  now  saw.  No  time  was  lost ;  so, 
dismounting  from  the  very  fleet  horse  he  was  riding, 
he  placed  in  his  saddle  his  wife  and  eldest  child.  To 
the  first  named  he  gave  directions  "  to  follow  on  the 
trail  that  led  to  Taos,  and  let  the  bridle  reins  be  a  lit- 
tle slack,  so  that  the  horse  would  know  what  was  ex- 
pected of  him,  when  he  would  travel  at  the  top  of  his 
speed.  He  said  that  he  intended  to  ride  towards  the 
Indians  and  engage  them  at  first  in  a  parley,  and  then 
if  necessary  offer  them  a  single-handed  combat.  At 
any  rate,  before  they  could  manage  to  kill  him,  she 
would  have  sufficient  time  to  lessen  her  danger.  As  to 
the  remainder  of  the  party,  he  added,  there  was  no 
alternative  but  for  them  to  take  their  chances  for  life 
or  death."  Bidding  his  wife  and  boy  good-by,  with  one 
heart-rending  look,  he  turned  to  face  his  apparent 
doom.  As  Kit  approached  the  Indians,  they  began  to 
call  out  his  name.  As  soon  as  he  heard  this,  he  aroused, 
himself  from  the  agonizing  frame  of  mind  he  had  been 
laboring  under  after  parting  with  all  that  was  so  dear 
to  him,  and  as  he  had  thought,  for  the  last  time.  To 
his  joy,  Kit  quickly  recognized  before  him,  the  familiar 
faces  of  some  of  his  Indian  friends.  They  had  come, 
as  they  afterwards  informed  him,  to  see  him  and  his 
helpless  charge  safely  lodged  in  their  home,  for  they 
had  become  aware  that  he  was  exposed  to  great  dan- 
ger. While  the  friends  were  talking,  some  of  the  In- 
dians began  to  laugh,  which  caused  Carson  to  turn  his 
head  and  look  in  the  direction  they  were  gazing.     To 


A    COWARDLY    MEXICAN.  543 

his  astonishment  and  disgust,  he  saw  (the  truth  was  too 
evident  to  be  mistaken)  that  the  cowardly  Mexican 
man  had,  on  his  leaving,  pulled  off  from  her  horse  Mrs. 
Carson  and  her  child,  and  having  mounted  the  animal 
himself,  was  making  good  his  escape.  The  Indians 
wished  to  keep  up  the  ruse,  pursue,  attempt  to  overtake 
and  punish  the  poltroon;  but  Kit  Carson  was  too  thank- 
ful that  matters  had  gone  so  well ;  therefore  he  said 
that  he  felt  that  he  could  excuse  such  dastardly  con- 
duct, and  requested  the  Indians  to  let  it  pass  unnoticed. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that  with  his  faithful  body- 
guard, who  had  come  to  watch  over  him  from  feelings 
of  earnest  respect,  gratitude  and  affectionate  regard,  the 
agent  accomplished  the  remainder  of  his  journey  in  per- 
fect safety. 

Several  years  had  elapsed,  as  the  reader  can  easily 
estimate,  since  Kit  Carson  met,  while  traveling  home 
from  one  of  his  expeditions,  the  Mormon  delegate  to 
Congress  who  had  first  informed  him  of  his  appoint- 
ment as  Indian  agent.  During  this  length  of  time  Kit 
Carson  retained  this  office  and  rendered  satisfactory 
service.  The  Indians  who  were  under  his  jurisdiction 
were  large  and  powerful  bands  of  the  Apaches  and 
Utahs  ;  but,  as  we  have  said  before,  neighboring  tribes 
freely  sought  his  counsel,  aid,  and  protectorate  power, 
as  they  required  it,  and,  from  habit,  considered  that 
they  had  a  claim  on  his  services.  To  best  illustrate 
this,  we  have  but  to  cite  one  instance,  of  which  a 
thousand  similar  exist.  Two  Indian  women  were  taken 
prisoners  by  the  red  men  of  the  plains,  from  a  band  of 
savages  not  under  the  immediate  control  of  Kit  Carson, 
who  inhabited  a  section  of  New  Mexico.  These  squaws, 
while   captives,  were  subjected  to   the    severest  labor 


544  PROTECTED    BY   KIT    CARSON. 

and  the  most  brutal  punishment  which  Indian  inge- 
nuity could  invent.  For  one  3-ear  they  submitted 
without  exhibiting  any  outward  symptoms  by  which 
their  condition  could  be  known ;  but,  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  they  resolved  to  escape,  even  if  they  were 
killed  in  the  attempt.  Watching  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity, they  started,  and  fortunately  so  well  laid  their 
plans  that,  for  some  time,  they  were  not  missed.  On 
their  prolonged  absence  being  noticed,  a  party  who 
were  well  mounted  commenced  the  pursuit,  no  doubt 
believing  that  to  recapture  the  runaways  would  be  an 
easy  task.  The  squaws,  however,  eluded  these  horse- 
men, and,  on  foot,  made  their  way  to  Kit  Carson's 
house  at  Taos.  By  him  they  were  hospitably  received, 
entertained  and  amply  provided  for.  They  had  trav- 
eled on  foot  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and,  while  en  route, 
had  lived  on  roots  and  such  other  food  as  fell  in  their 
way.  In  their  reduced  condition,  it  required  kindness, 
proper  diet  and  rest  to  resuscitate  them.  In  the  com- 
fortable house  to  which  they  had  come,  these  things 
were  at  hand,  and  were  freely  given,  without  hoping 
for  the  rewards  which  man  can  give.  The  pursuers  of 
these  unfortunate  Indian  women  followed  on  their  trail, 
which,  with  native  instinct,  the  squaws  had  made  as 
indistinct  as  possible,  until  they  found  themselves  at  a 
settlement  within  the  boundaries  of  New  Mexico. 
Here  they  were  informed  that  their  late  captives 
were  safe  under  the  protection  of  Kit  Carson.  This 
name  acted  like  magic  in  settling  their  future  mode 
of  proceedings.  They  needed  nothing  more  to  bid 
them  face  about  and  retrace  their  steps  to  their  own 
homes.  The  squaws,  in  the  household  of  Kit  Carson, 
rapidly  recruited,  and  when  the  time  came  for  them  to 


THE    EED   MAN'S    FRIEND.  545 

be  sent  to  their  own  tribe,  they  went  away  rejoicing  at 
their  good  fortune,  first,  in  making  their  escape,  and 
second,  because  they  had  been  so  humanely  treated  by 
a  man  whose  name  they  had  often  heard,  but  never 
before  seen.  As  we  have  said  before,  and  with  truth, 
this  is  but  one  example  out  of  thousands  which  have 
passed  by  unheralded  since  Kit  Carson  first  commenced 
his  official  career  as  Indian  as;ent. 

The  duties  of  an  agent  were  not  by  Kit  Carson  con- 
fined to  the  mere  letter  of  the  law.  His  was  a  heart 
that  could  not  be  happy  were  he  not  daily  doing  some 
equitable  and  humane  act  to  ameliorate  the  condition 
of  the  Indian  race.  The  strict  duties  of  an  Indian 
agent  required  that  he  should  receive  and  disburse  cer- 
tain sums  of  money  in  purchasing  such  minor  articles 
as  the  tribes  over  which  he  was  placed  may  require.  He 
had  to  give  monthly  and  quarterly  reports  to  the  Gen- 
eral Government  and  the  Superintendent  of  the  Terri- 
tory he  wras  in,  of  the  condition,  crimes,  practices,  hab- 
its, intentions,  health,  and  such  other  things  as  pertained 
to  the  economy  of  his  charge.  How  seldom  is  this 
knowledge  properly  attained,  and  howr  often  are  these 
things  entrusted  to  clerks,  while  the  principal  receives 
the  emoluments  of  his  office !  Of  the  details  which 
make  the  Indian  happy  or  miserable,  he  too  frequently 
knows  but  little  about,  except  from  routine.  The 
agent,  if  he  be  a  fit  man,  and  the  Indian  is  by  no 
means  slow  in  forming  his  estimate  of  the  person  he 
has  to  deal  with,  is  received  into  the  confidence  of  the 
tribes,  when,  after  sufficient  trial,  he  has  been  proved 
worthy  of  their  esteem  and  friendship.  When  once  he 
has  gained  a  foothold  in  the  affections  of  the  savages, 
his  task  assumes  the  condition  of  pleasure  rather  than 


546  DUTIES    OF    INDIAN    AGENT. 

severe  labor ;  but,  if  he  is  ignorant  of  the  minute  work- 
ings of  his  business,  he  is  generally  imposed  upon  and 
always  disliked  to  such  a  degree  that  no  honorable  man 
would  retain  such  a  position  longer  than  to  find  out  his 
unpopularity  and  the  causes  of  it.  The  Indian  agent,  to 
perform  his  duties  well,  must  be  continually  at  his 
agency  house,  or  among  the  Indians,  in  order  that  he 
may  personally  attend  to  their  wants  and  protect  them 
from  the  mercenary  visits  and  contact  of  outside  in- 
truders, who  are  continually  watching  their  opportu- 
nity, like  hungry  wolves,  to  prey  upon  and  cheat  them 
in  every  shape  and  form.  In  fine,  he  is  to  assist  the 
superintendent  in  managing  the  entire  Indian  family. 

The  business  of  Indian  agent,  which  he  strictly  and 
conscientiously  attended  to,  kept  Kit  Carson  employed 
during  the  most  of  his  time ;  yet,  as  often  as  once  each 
year,  he  managed  affairs  so  that  he  could  spend  a  few 
weeks  in  the  exciting  scenes  of  the  chase.  On  these 
excursions,  which  were  eagerly  looked  forward  to  by 
his  friends,  he  was  accompanied  by  the  crack  shots  of 
the  country,  including  his  Indian  and  Mexican  friends. 
On  horseback  and  on  open  prairies,  Kit  Carson  was  in- 
disputably the  greatest  hunter  in  America,  if  indeed  he 
was  not  the  greatest  hunter  living.  He  has  killed,  in 
the  brief  space  of  three  consecutive  hours,  with  his 
rifle,  twenty-two  antelope,  at  a  time  when  the  game 
was  so  scarce,  that  other  men  who  followed  the  business 
of  hunting  under  pay,  and  were  no  ordinary  shots, 
thought  themselves  doing  well  to  bring  down  six  of  the 
same  animals. 

It  gave  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  the  people  of 
New  Mexico  that  Kit  Carson  was,  from  time  to  time, 
re-installed  in  his  office  of  Indian  agent,  notwithstand- 


WIDE-SPREAD    INFLUENCE.  547 

ing  the  other  great  changes  that  were  being  continu- 
ally made  in  their  politics.  His  fitness  for  the  position 
which  he  held  cannot  be  doubted,  when  the  good  al- 
ready accomplished  by  his  efforts  is  considered.  His 
influence  reached  far  beyond  his  own  tribes,  and  was 
felt  by  the  Cheyennes,  Arrapahoes,  and  Kiowas,  who 
were  fast  becoming  very  chary  about  visiting,  with 
hostile  intentions,  the  settlements  of  Northern  New 
Mexico. 


648    varied  and  valuable  experiences. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Larson  not  allowed  to  Remain  Idle — His  Position  in  our  late  Civil  War — 
He  is  Needed  on  an  Important  Field  of  Army  Operations — His  Love 
for  the  Union — His  Promise  to  Stand  by  the  Old  Flag — His  Fulfill- 
ment of  the  Promise — Is  Appointed  Colonel  of  the  First  New  Mexico 
Volunteers — His  Friendship  with  General  Canby — Lieutenant-Colonel 
Pfiefer — Valuable  Service  against  the  Camauches,  Arrapahoes  and 
Cheyennes — Overpowered  and  Defeated — Fearful  Loss — A  Brilliant 
Campaign  against  the  Navajoes — Increased  Fame — The  War  Depart- 
ment sound  his  Praises  in  Flattering  Terms — Brigadier  General  of 
Volunteers — Detailed  for  Responsible  Duty — Appointed  Peace  Com- 
missioner to  the  Sioux — A  Delicate  Mission — The  Indian  Policy  of  our 
Government — A  Reformation  Movement — A  Wise  and  Humane  Policy 
— Kit  Carson's  Opinion  as  to  what  Should  be  Done — His  Wonderful 
Success  in  Treating  with  the  Savages — Beloved  and  Feared — The  Visit 
of  Indian  Chiefs  to  Washington — The  Effects  of  Civilization — Recep- 
tions and  Speeches  of  Buffalo  Good  and  Little  Raven — The  Indian 
Question,  and  What  Has  Been  Done,  and  What  Must  Be  Done,  to  Se- 
cure Lasting  Peace — The  Death  of  General  Kit  Carson,  at  Fort  Lyon, 
Colorado — His  Death  Hastened  by  the  Loss  of  his  Wife — A  Man  of 
Striking  Virtues — Kit  Carson  as  a  Free  Mason — Masonic  Signs  among 
the  Indians. 

Following  on  the  varied  and  valuable  experiences 
that  Kit  Carson  had,  in  his  strangely  eventful  career, 
prior  to  his  appointment  as  Indian  agent,  he  might  have 
treasured  the  hope  that  he  should  live  out  the  rest  of 
his  days  in  peace  and  quiet,  so  far  as  a  man  with  such 
surroundings  might  expect  repose.  With  him  rest 
would  not  be  the  absolute  calm  that  one  might  have  in 
a  settled,  law-abiding  community.  Indeed,  to  him,  that 
kind  of  repose  would  be  the  most  tiresome  of  all  ex- 


CLAIMED    BY    BOTH    SIDES.  549 

perience  ;  for  men  of  his  mould — of  his  tireless  energy 
and  constant  exercise  of  body  and  mind — there  must 
be  something  to  demand  constant  watchfulness,  as  a 
necessary  stimulus,  or  life  becomes  a  weary  drag,  and 
has  no  attractions.  But  Carson  could  reasonably  have 
expected  a  comparative  season  of  rest.  He  might  have 
ended  his  life  of  great  deeds  at  this  very  point,  and 
have  more  than  filled  a  mission  of  heroic  work.  This, 
however,  he  was  not  permitted  to  do.  His  ripe  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  in  which  he  had  won  his  proud- 
est distinction,  and  his  thorough  judgment,  amounting 
to  an  intuitive  perception,  of  the  habits  and  character 
of  all  tribes  and  people,  made  him  an  available  man, 
above  all  others,  in  the  overshadowing  crisis  of  national 
affairs  which  plunged  the  nation  into  civil  war,  for  cer- 
tain specified  work  on  an  important  field  of  army  op- 
erations. Early  in  the  war  he  was  claimed  by  both 
sides — the  North  and  South — as  a  friendly  ally,  and  his 
position  was  a  matter  of  consequence,  as  much  as  if  he 
had  been  a  general  in  the  field  ;  but,  while  his  position 
was  disputed,  there  was  never  the  slightest  doubt  con- 
cerning his  convictions  or  his  purposes,  from  the  very 
start,  among  those  who  knew  well  his  character.  He 
loved  the  Union,  and  no  temptation  could  have  diverted 
that  love. 

The  author  left  New  Mexico  in  the  fall  of  1856,  hav- 
ing resigned  his  position  in  the  army,  and  proceeded  to 
Europe  to  perfect  his  studies.  In  I860  he  returned, 
and  re-entered  the  service  of  the  Government  as  an 
army  officer.  Kit  Carson  was  then  holding  the  place 
of  Indian  agent  of  the  Utahs  and  Apaches  at  Taos, 
New  Mexico,  and  was  devoting  himself  wholly  to  civil 
pursuits.     As  the  author  was  soon  after  taken  a  pris- 

32 


550  TRUE  TO  THE  OLD  FLAG. 

oner  in  Texas,  he  did  noi,  see  Carson,  as  he  had  hoped 
and  expected,  but  subsequently  held  a  correspondence 
with  him,  at  the  time  the  rebellion  broke  out,  and  re- 
ceived from  him  very  positive  and  patriotic  assurances 
that  he  should  steadfastly  remain  loyal  to  the  Union 
and  to  the  flag — a  promise  that  he  admirably  fulfilled. 

He  was  early  in  the  war  appointed  Colonel  of  the 
First  Regiment  New  Mexico  Volunteers,  under  the 
command  of  Brigadier  General  Canby,  whose  subse- 
quent tragic  death,  after  braving  all  the  perils  of  the 
great  conflict  between  the  North  and  South,  will  be 
alluded  to  in  a  subsequent  chapter.  Carson  had  no 
trustier  friend  than  Canby. 

The  regiment  which  Kit  Carson  commanded  was  a 
fine  body  of  men  who  were  accustomed  to  hardships 
and  could  endure  much  without  complaint.  His 
Lieutenant-Colonel's  name  was  Pfiefer,  and  he  was  a 
valuable  man  to  have  for  an  associate  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  the  brave  work  to  be  done.  Pfiefer  was  a 
mountaineer  of  the  bravest  sort,  who  had  suffered  deeply 
by  the  slaughter  of  his  wife  and  children  and  the  burn- 
ing of  his  ranch,  and,  though  cool  in  the  hour  of  dan- 
ger, he  was  reckless  of  his  own  life.  He  was  a  good 
companion  for  one  Avho  never  knew  fear. 

Carson's  first  action  in  the  war  was  under  Canby  at 
Val  Verde,  in  an  engagement  against  an  invading  force 
of  Texans,  when  he  was  greatly  distinguished  for  per- 
sonal bravery.  After  this  battle  his  regiment  was  em- 
ployed almost  exclusively  against  confederate  Texans 
under  General  Sibley,  who  was  a  West  Point  graduate, 
and  of  excellent  standing  in  the  United  States  Army  be- 
fore his  desertion,  and  was  witlely  known  as  the  invent- 
or of  the  Sibley  tent,  which  all  soldiers  in  the  late  war 


MAGNIFICENT    OPERATION.  553 

are  familiar  with.  Portions  of  the  regiment  were, 
at  times,  detailed  as  guides  and  spies  in  the  southern 
part  of  New  Mexico.  After  the  defeat  of  the  Texans  in 
Apache  Pass,  near  Santa  Fe,  Carson  and  his  command 
were  detached  on  Indian  duty  under  Colonel  Carlton, 
who  was  subsequently  made  a  Brigadier  General.  On 
this  duty  valuable  service  was  performed  against  the 
Camanches,  Arrapahoes  and  Cheyennes ;  but  at  Stone 
Wall,  near  the  Red  River,  Carson  met  his  match,  being 
overpowered  and  badly  defeated.  There  was  a  fearful 
loss  on  both  sides. 

But  this  repulse  was  very  soon  supplemented  with  a 
victory  of  the  greatest  magnificence.  The  Navajo  In- 
dians were  very  troublesome.  For  a  whole  decade  they 
had  defied  the  Government,  and  now,  enlisted  as  savage 
cohorts  of  the  rebels,  they  were  especially  dangerous. 
They  numbered  several  thousand  warriors,  and  roamed 
over  an  immense  tract  of  country.  General  Carlton  se- 
lected Carson  to  command  two  thousand  picked  men, 
consisting  of  Californians,  Mexicans,  and  Mountaineers, 
to  operate  against  these  Indians.  The  campaign  was  a 
most  brilliant  one.  After  a  succession  of  skirmishes, 
Carson  succeeded  in  getting  the  enemy  into  a  bed  or 
ravine,  and  had  his  own  forces  so  disposed  as  to  com- 
mand every  approach,  and  in  doing  this  compelled 
the  surrender  of  ten  thousand  Indians,  being  the  larg- 
est single  capture  of  Indians  ever  known.  The  entire 
tribe,  men,  women  and  children,  was  disposed  of  by 
this  magnificent  operation.  This  greatly  increased  the 
fame  of  the  mountain  leader,  and  the  official  reports  to 
the  war  department  very  justly  sounded  his  praises  in 
flattering  terms,  but  none  too  extravagantly.  For  this 
great  service  and  gallantry  displayed  elsewhere,  he  was 


554  BRIGADIER    GENERAL    OF    VOLUNTEERS. 

breveted  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General  of  Volun- 
teers, and  entirely  without  any  solicitation.  The  cap- 
tured Indians  were  afterwards  sent  to  a  reservation  on 
one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  later, 
following  General  Sherman's  Indian  negotiations,  they 
were  sent  by  their  own  request  to  their  original  grounds 
in  the  Navajo  country,  where  they  have  since  remained 
in  a  well-behaved  condition.  They  are  peaceful,  and  are 
gradually  becoming  accustomed  to  the  more  advanced 
ways  of  civilization.  They  are  measurably  indus- 
trious, and  to  a  considerable  extent  are  self-supporting. 
During  the  remainder  of  the  war,  General  Carson  was  on 
different  details  of  responsible  work,  mainly  courts  mar- 
tial and  matters  relating  to  the  Indians,  and  in  one  of 
which  he  made  himself  useful  to  the  Government.  The 
war  history  of  affairs  in  New  Mexico,  during  this  period, 
as  contained  in  official  reports,  will  show  that  his  services 
were  fully  recognized  by  the  department  whose  inter- 
ests he  served.  He  was  retained  in  his  rank  and  posi- 
tion at  the  close  of  the  war,  long  after  nearly  all  the 
volunteer  officers  had  been  mustered  out,  and  was  then 
made  a  peace  commissioner  to  visit  the  Sioux  and  other 
tribes,  his  long  experience,  honesty,  and  loyalty  to  the 
Government  qualifying  him  in  all  respects  for  the  re 
sponsibilities  of  such  a  delicate  mission. 

The  settlement  of  the  trouble  with  the  Sioux  Indians, 
which  was  assigned  to  General  Carson,  was  a  matter  of 
great  consequence,  more,  indeed,  than  appeared  upon 
the  surface  of  things  at  the  time.  Hostilities  had 
grown  out  of  bad  faith  in  the  first  place,  and  a  bloody 
war,  attended  with  frightful  massacres,  followed,  in- 
volving a  cost  of  millions  of  dollars  to  the  Government. 
Indian  wars  have  always  been  costly;   they  are  con- 


AN    APPEAL    FOR    THE    RED    MEN.  555 

ducted  by  the  Government  at  fearful  odds.  In  the 
Seminole  war,  there  were  only  1,910  warriors  in  the 
field,  and  they,  roaming  over  47,000  square  miles  of 
territory,  compelled  the  United  States  to  equip  20,000 
troops,  and  pay  $20,000,000  to  militia  and  volunteers, 
exclusive  of  what  was  paid  to  regulars. 

One  careful  observer  in  the  Sioux  war,  who  was  act- 
ively engaged  in  the  expedition  conducted  by  the  Gov- 
ernment, offered  the  following  pertinent  suggestion  : 
"Justice  and  humanity  require  that,  as  Ave  have  de- 
prived the  Indian  of  his  occupation  of  hunting  and  the 
indulgence  of  the  wild  habits  of  centuries,  we  should 
make  a  genuine  attempt  to  have  him  adapt  himself  to 
his  altered  condition.  Such  an  attempt  has  never  yet 
been  made,  although  the  treaties  contemplated  it,  and 
the  officials  pretend  it  has  been  done.  A  proper  code 
of  laws  and  policy,  having  in  view  this  end,  should  be 
adopted." 

It  was  this  Sioux  war  which,  to  a  great  degree, 
opened  the  eyes  of  the  nation  to  much  of  the  injustice 
of  the  old  policy  of  Indian  management,  and  enlisted  a 
wide-spread  movement  in  behalf  of  something  better. 
Bishop  Whipple,  of  Minnesota,  sent  out  a  stirring  "Ap- 
peal for  the  Red  Man,"  in  which,  making  the  massa- 
cres in  his  own  State  the  text  of  his  commentaries,  he 
said : 

"  There  is  not  a  man  in  America,  who  ever  gave  an 
hour's  calm  reflection  to  this  subject,  who  does  not 
know  that  our  Indian  system  is  an  organized  system  of 
robbery,  and  has  been  for  years  a  disgrace  to  the 
nation.  It  has  left  savage  men  without  governmental 
control ;  it  has  looked  on  unconcerned  at  every  crime 
against  the  law  of  God  and  man ;  it  has  fostered  sav- 


556  bishop  Whipple's   manifesto. 

age  life  by  wasting  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  purchase 
of  paint,  beads,  scalping-knives  and  tomahawks  ;  it  has 
fostered  a  system  of  trade  which  robbed  the  thrifty  and 
virtuous  to  jDay  the  debts  of  the  indolent  and  vicious; 
it  has  squandered  the  funds  for  civilization  and  schools; 
it  has  connived  at  theft ;  it  has  winked  at  murder ;  and 
at  last,  after  dragging  the  savage  down  to  a  brutishness 
unknown  to  his  fathers,  it  has  brought  a  harvest  of 
blood  to  our  own  door." 

This  was  but  a  part  of  his  earnest  arraignment  of  the 
nation  for  its  shortcomings  in  the  treatment  of  its  way- 
faring children.  His  manifesto,  as  a  whole,  had  a 
powerful  effect  upon  the  country.  Acting  under  his 
lead,  all  the  Episcopal  bishops  of  the  Northern  States, 
with  many  of  the  first  clergy  and  laity,  united  in  a  pe- 
tition to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  which  his 
attention  was  solicited  to  the  following  suggestions  : 

"  First — That  it  is  impolitic  for  our  Government  to 
treat  a  heathen  community,  living  in  our  borders,  as 
an  independent  nation,  but  that  they  ought  to  be  re- 
garded as  our  wards. 

"  Second — That  it  is  dangerous  to  ourselves  and  to 
them,  to  leave  these  Indian  tribes  without  a  govern- 
ment, not  subject  to  our  own  laws,  and  when  every 
corrupt  influence  of  the  border  would  inevitably  foster 
a  spirit  of  revenge  leading  to  murder  and  war. 

"  Third — That  the  solemn  responsibility  of  the  care 
of  a  heathen  race  requires  that  the  agents  and  servants 
of  the  Government  who  have  them  in  charge,  shall  be 
men  of  eminent  fitness,  and  in  no  case  should  such 
offices  be  regarded  as  a  reward  for  political  service. 

"Fourth — That  every  feeling  of  honor  and  of  jus- 
tice demands  that  the  Indian  funds  which  we  hold  for 


A  REFORMATORY  MOVEMENT.  557 

them  as  a  trust,  shall  be  carefully  expended  under  some 
well  devised  system  which  will  encourage  their  efforts 
towards  civilization. 

"  Fifth — That  the  present  system  of  Indian  trade  is 
mischievous  and  demoralizing,  and  ought  to  be  so 
amended  as  to  protect  the  Indian  and  wholly  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  the  sale  of  the  patrimony  of  the  tribe 
to  satisfy  individual  debts. 

"  Sixth — That  it  is  believed  that  the  history  of  our 
dealings  with  the  Indians  has  been  marked  by  gross 
acts  of  injustice  and  robbery,  such  as  could  not  be  pre- 
vented under  the  present  system  of  management,  and 
that  these  wrongs  have  often  proved  the  prolific  cause 
of  war  and  bloodshed." 

The  petition  closed  in  the  following  words : 

"  We  feel  that  these  results  cannot  be  secured  with- 
out much  careful  thought,  and,  therefore,  request  you 
to  take  such  steps  as  may  be  necessary  to  appoint  a 
commission  of  men  of  high  character,  who  have  no  po- 
litical ends  to  subserve,  to  whom  may  be  referred  this 
whole  question,  in  order  that  they  may  devise  a  more 
perfect  system  for  the  administration  of  Indian  affairs, 
which  shall  redress  these  wrongs,  preserve  the  honor 
of  the  Government,  and  call  down  upon  us  the  bless- 
ings of  God." 

It  was  from  this  beginning  of  a  reformatory  move- 
ment, that  a  complete  change  in  the  Indian  policy  of 
the  Government  was  brought  about.  The  commission 
asked  for  originally  was  appointed  during  President 
Grant's  first  term  of  office,  and  it  was  he  who  began 
the  experiment  of  new  measures  to  secure  the  best  in- 
terest of  the  Indians.  The  plan  adopted  in  the  selec- 
tion of  the  commission,  was   to  have  it  composed  of 


558  THE  ONLY  TRUE  REMEDY. 

leading  representatives  of  religious  denominations,  and 
men  of  high  character  were  chosen.  The  policy  from 
the  start  was  to  get  the  Indians  upon  reservations,  and 
that,  to  a  very  general  extent,  has  succeeded,  and,  so 
far  as  accomplished,  has  worked  admirably,  though  with 
occasional  disadvantages,  as  might  be  expected  from 
the  inauguration  of  so  extensive  a  movement.  On  the 
whole,  the  policy  of  the  Government  is  accepted  by  the 
country  as  eminently  wise,  humane  and  just. 

This  accomplishment  recalls  the  opinion  expressed 
by  Kit  Carson,  as  given  in  a  previous  chapter,  that  the 
question  would  never  be  settled  so  long  as  the  Indians 
were  permitted  to  run  at  large.  u  The  only  true  rem- 
edy," he  said,  "  for  this  great  evil,  is  to  compel  the  sav- 
ages to  form  settlements  by  themselves  ;  then  and  there 
assist  and  teach  them  to  cultivate  the  soil;  in  time, 
they  will  be  able  to  gain  a  maintenance  independent 
of  the  General  Government,  and,  to  a  certain  extent, 
they  will  become  responsible  for  their  acts."  Substan- 
tially we  have  seen  these  views  of  the  distinguished 
mountaineer  and  soldier,  derived  from  his  own  practi- 
cal experiences,  incorporated  into  the  settled  policy  of 
the  Government,  and  both  directly  and  indirectly,  no 
doubt,  he  himself  very  considerably  contributed  to  the 
attainment  of  that  result. 

The  effect  of  this  policy  has  been  no  less  marked 
upon  the  tribes  which  were  directly  within  General 
Carson's  jurisdiction  as  Indian  agent,  than  upon  others 
less  savage  in  many  respects,  and  could  he  have  sur- 
vived to  witness  the  practical  results  of  the  reservation 
plan  and  its  attending  peaceful  regulations,  it  would 
unquestionably  have  afforded  him  great  satisfaction. 

The  most  powerful  band  which  was  under  his  direc- 


VISITING    CHIEFS.  559 

tion  was  the  Apaches,  though  his  operations  extended 
to  the  Cheyennes,  the  Arrapahoes,  and  the  Kiowas. 
The  chiefs  of  these  tribes  visited  the  Eastern  States  in 
the  summer  of  1871,  going  to  Washington,  where  they 
had  an  interview  with  the  President,  and  also  proceed- 
ing to  other  cities.  The  kind  treatment  they  received 
everywhere  made  so  favorable  an  impression  upon  their 
minds,  that  on  their  return  to  the  Indian  country  they 
not  only  refused  to  join  a  warlike  tribe  which  had  be- 
come incensed  at  the  arrest  of  two  chiefs,  but  were  the 
means  of  preventing  a  bloody  war. 

While  in  New  York,  they  were  given  a  reception 
at  Cooper  Union,  and  a  very  intelligent  audience  as- 
sembled. The  Indians  were  dressed  partly  in  their 
native  style,  wearing  moccasins  and  ear-rings,  and 
having  their  long  black  hair  braided.  One  wore  a 
gaudy  red  robe.  Of  Arrapahoe  chiefs  there  were 
Little  Raven,  Powder  Face,  and  Bird  Chief;  of  Chey- 
ennes, Little  Robe  and  Stone  Calf;  and  of  the  Wich- 
itas,  Buffalo  Good.  Their  prevailing  style  of  face 
was  that  usually  seen  in  the  warlike  Sioux  race ;  that 
is,  a  coarse,  broad  lower  face,  Hebrew  nose,  and  re- 
treating forehead. 

In  Boston  there  was  another  reception.  Buffalo 
Good,  the  ablest  man  in  the  delegation,  and  a  natural 
orator  of  considerable  power,  made  a  characteristic 
speech,  the  translation  of  which  is  as  follows : 

"Gentlemen  :  Washington  (President  Grant)  invited 
me  and  these  other  chiefs  to  go  to  his  big  house  in 
Washington  City,  to  have  a  talk  with  him.  I  thought 
I  was  going  to  have  a  straight  story,  that  my  heart 
would  be  made  glad  by  what  I  was  to  hear.     But  I 


560  SPEECH  OF  BUFFALO  GOOD. 

have  been  disappointed,  and  I  think  Washington  is 
not  so  much  of  a  chief  after  all.  [Laughter.]  God 
gave  this  country  to  the  Indians.  He  gave  the  white 
man  a  country  across  the  waters.  When  he  gave 
this  country  to  the  Indian,  he  gave  them  the  bow  and 
the  arrow  and  the  land,  and  he  was  able  to  hold  his 
own  until  the  white  man  came  over  here.  He  gave 
the  white  man  paper  and  a  great  deal  more  knowledge 
than  he  gave  the  Indians.  Then  they  came  to  this 
country ;  but  the  Wichitas  never  fought  them,  but 
took  them  by  the  hand  and  treated  them  kindly. 
When  I  left  home,  it  was  to  see  Washington,  for  I 
thought  he  was  all  the  great  chief  in  this  country. 
But  my  friends  told  me  that  there  were  a  great  many 
chiefs,  and  that  I  should  find  some  here ;  that  is  why  I 
come  here  to-night — I  didn't  intend  to  come.  But  I 
am  glad  to  see  you.  God  told  the  Indians  that  some 
day  the  white  men  would  come  here.  But  we  did  not 
think  they  wTould  treat  us  so  unkindly  and  try  to  drive 
us  from  our  lands.  The  bones  of  my  fathers  lie  in 
every  hill  and  valley  of  my  country,  and  I  don't  want 
to  be  turned  out  from  that  country,  for  I  love  it  very 
much.  Nearly  thirty  years  ago  Washington  gave  me 
and  my  people  a  good  chief,  who  tried  to  put  us  on 
the  white  man's  road.  We  think  he  meant  all  that  he 
said.  We  wanted  to  go  on  the  white  man's  road  very 
much.  I  and  my  brother  represent  five  different  tribes, 
who  have  always  been  friendly,  and  who  wanted  to  be 
friendly  to  the  whites.  But  because  we  do  not  fight, 
Washington  takes  away  our  lands  and  gives  them  to 
the  tribes  that  are  fighting  them  all  the  time.  My 
people  are  grieved  at  this,  and  when  I  left  home  they 
told  me  to  preach  hard  and  get  some   satisfaction  in 


THE    KED    MAN'S    GRIEVANCES.  561 

regard  to  our  country;  but,  when  I  return,  it  will  be- 
with  my  hands  before  my  eyes  and  my  head  cast  down, 
for  I  can  tell  them  nothing  new.  They  knew  it  all  be- 
fore I  left.  I,  too,  am  getting  along  in  years.  I  can't 
live  forever,  but  I  would  like  to  see  churches  and 
school-houses  built  in  my  land,  and  would  like  to  see 
my  children  educated  before  I  die.  [Applause.]  For 
the  white  men  have  driven  the  buffalo  off,  and  now  we 
have  got  to  live  like  white  men,  and  so  I  want  my 
white  brothers  to  help  me.  Since  I  have  been  here  I 
have  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  people  in  this  town. 
They  help  everybody  else ;  they  send  their  mission- 
aries all  abroad;  but  I  ask  you  why  you  won't  assist 
me  and  my  people  ?  [Applause.]  I  am  glad  I  have 
met  you  all.  You  are  all  my  friends — my  brothers.  I 
have  taken  fast  hold  of  you  with  my  hand,  and  I  am 
not  going  to  let  go.  Some  of  the  tribes  are  living  well. 
They  ought  to,  for  the  white  men  have  stolen  our  lands, 
(we  who  have  never  hunted  the  whites,)  and  have  given 
them  to  them,  and  they  are  learning  them  to  grow  up 
like  white  people.  If  they  would  give  us  our  lands,  we 
would  learn  to  do  the  same  thing.  When  I  got  to 
Washington,  they  said  they  knew  all  about  my  people. 
If  they  did  know  it,  why  didn't  they  help  us,  and  fix 
it?  But  I  am  very  glad  I  came  on.  One  thing  I 
wanted  to  speak  about ;  I  had  nearly  forgotten  it.  We 
settled  in  Texas,  but  the  Texans  drove  us  out ;  they 
wanted  the  country,  for  it  was  a  very  fine  one.  They 
stole  our  cattle  and  our  pigs ;  they  broke  down  our 
fences  and  obliged  us  to  move.  The  Government  told 
us  we  should  be  made  all  right,  but  it  hasn't  been  done 
yet,  and  I  want  to  know  to-night  why  it  hasn't  ?  Then 
we  went  to  Kansas,  and  when  we  got  there  some  friends 


562  LITTLE    RAVEN   TALKS. 

said  we  would  whip  the  Texans  all  out,  and  then  Gov- 
ernment would  appreciate  our  services.  But  the  war 
broke  out,  and  the  soldiers  who  were  going  to  help 
whip  the  Texans  were  called  away.  I  reckon  you 
know  those  people  in  Texas  ;  they  are  a  mighty  hard 
people  down  there.  [Laughter.]  We  have  got  a  very 
good  agent  down  in  our  country  now,  and  if  Washing- 
ton does  not  help  that  agent  to  help  us,  I  would  like  to 
have  you  help  him,  for  we  don't  want  to  lose  him.  I 
wonder  why  your  Government  has  not  clone  something 
for  the  Wichitas  and  those  other  Indians  that  have 
done  all  that  was  wanted  of  them.  They  help  the 
others,  who  are  fighting  them  all  the  time,  but  it  is  no 
use  doing  anything  for  them.  That  is  what  I  think. 
When  I  go  home  I  want  to,  and  I  shall,  carry  home  a 
big  talk  with  me,  to  tell  all  my  brothers  down  there.  I 
shall  remember  it  all  ;  I  shan't  forget  a  word  of  it  on 
the  way.  This  is  all  I  have  got  to  say  to  you.  I  am 
sorry  that  I  can't  talk  English,  or  you  can't  talk  in 
Wichita,  for  if  you  did  I  would  have  a  great  deal  more 
to  say  to  you."     [Applause.] 

Little  Haven  made  the  following  speech : 

"  My  Friends  :  These  big  chiefs  on  the  left  and  right 
have  invited  me  into  this  big  council-house  and  invited 
us  to  hear  what  you  have  got  to  say.  This  is  a  good 
house,  and  this  is  just  the  kind  of  a  house  to  have  a 
good  talk  in.  [Laughter.]  Some  years  ago  General 
Sheridan  met  my  tribe  in  the  Wichita  Mountains  and 
told  us  that  he  did  not  want  the  Arrapahoes  to  fight 
any  more.  It  was  a  good  talk,  and  I  listened  to  what 
the    General  told   me.     I  have   kept   that   talk   ever 


WANTED    TO    BE    LET    ALONE.  563 

since,  and  have  never  fought  with  the  white  man.  I 
want  you  to  look  upon  these  men  around  me ;  they 
do  not  look  so  strong  as  they  really  are,  but  they  are  not 
to  be  despised,  even  if  they  are  Indians.  [Laughter 
and  applause.]  The  Great  Father  invited  me  and  these 
other  chiefs  to  come  to  Washington  to  see  him,  and  he 
made  just  such  a  talk  as  Sheridan  did,  in  a  nice  talking 
place.  It  was  a  good  talk.  It  was  just  the  kind  of 
talk  I  wanted  to  hear,  and  I  was  glad  I  did  hear  it. 
Then  I  and  my  friends  went  to  Philadelphia  and  to 
New  York,  and  we  had  just  such  a  good  talk  there.  I 
told  them  that  I  wanted  to  have  peace  with  the  white 
man  ;  and  that  I  only  wanted  to  be  let  alone.  I  was 
glad  to  see  this,  and  my  heart  was  glad  to  hear  this. 
I  was  told  that  I  had  some  friends  at  the  North  that  I 
had  never  heard  of,  nor  seen  before,  and  I  found  a  great 
many  chiefs  here  ;  some  of  them  have  been  showing 
me  through  the  city.  The  women,  the  children,  boys 
and  girls,  are  glad  to  see  me,  and  my  heart  is  big,  and 
I  am  glad  to  meet  them.  [Applause.]  My  people, 
the  Arrapahoes,  the  braves,  and  the  women,  are  all 
anxiously  looking  for  my  return.  My  friends  are  wait- 
ing for  me ;  they  are  now  looking  for  me,  and  I  am 
glad  I  have  got  so  good  a  talk  to  carry  back  to  them 
as  I  have  received  here .  When  I  sleep  at  night  I  sleep 
with  all  this  talk  in  my  heart,  and  when  I  wake  up  I 
find  it  still  there,  and  I  am  going  to  take  every  word 
of  it  home  with  me.  [Applause.]  I  believe  God  is 
going  to  pity  the  Indians.  He  has  shown  us  a  good 
many  friends  here,  and  there  is  not  one  that  has  said 
anything  or  done  anything  wrong  to  my  party.  I  am 
very  glad  of  that,  for  if  anything  should  happen  to  any 
member  of  my  party,  my  people  would  feel  very  bad 


564  CHEYENNES    AND    ARRAPAHOES. 

on  my  return.  Once  the  Arrapahoes  had  a  fine  coun- 
try in  the  West,  (Colorado,)  but  the  white  man  has 
driven  us  from  there.  I  hope  some  day  the  white  man 
will  do  justice  to  the  Arrapahoes.  There  are  a  great 
many  chiefs  listening  to  what  I  say  to-night,  and  I  want 
to  say  that  I  only  ask  for  justice.  I  am  growing  old, 
and  I  may  die,  but  my  children  will  live,  and  I  hope 
justice  will  be  done  to  my  children  if  not  to  myself. 
God  gave  this  country  to  the  Indian,  and  God  sent  the 
white  man  here,  but  I  don't  think  God  sent  the  white 
man  to  do  injustice  to  the  Indian  always.  [Applause.] 
When  I  get  home  I  shall  talk  to  my  young  men,  to  any 
of  them  that  are  disposed  to  do  wrong,  and  tell  them  to 
hold  on  and  to  behave  themselves.  I  think  my  white 
brethren  I  have  seen  here,  have  made  a  great  talk  and 
that  they  mean  what  they  say.  [Applause.]  That  is 
all  I  have  to  say." 

The  latest  official  reports  on  file  in  the  Department 
of  the  Interior  say  that  "  the  Cheyennes  and  Arrapahoes 
are  generally  contented  upon  their  new  reservation. 
The  schools  are  gaining  their  confidence,  and  their  con- 
dition has  sufficiently  improved  during  the  last  year  to 
warrant  the  expectation  of  a  satisfactory  advancement 
in  the  future." 

The  special  attention  of  Government  was  directed  to 
the  situation  of  the  Apaches  of  New  Mexico,  their 
eager  desire  for  peace,  their  starving  condition,  and  the 
opinion  of  agents  and  army  officers  that  with  means  to 
feed  and  clothe  them,  they  could  be  kept  at  peace. 
Congress  finally  made  an  appropriation  of  seventy 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  board  of  commissioners  at 
once  directed  its  secretary  to  proceed  to  New  Mexico 


SOLVING   THE    INDIAN    PROBLEM.  565 

and  Arizona  to  make  arrangements  to  bring  the  roving 
Apaches  upon  suitable  reservations,  and  to  feed,  clothe, 
and  otherwise  care  for  them.  The  hearty  approval  of 
the  President  was  obtained  to  its  course.  The  offers 
of  peace  by  the  secretary  were  received  by  the  Apaches 
with  great  eagerness,  and  several  thousands  of  them 
immediately  took  possession  of  the  reservations  pro- 
vided for  them. 

The  importance  of  these  results,  which  are  now  but 
partially  fulfilled,  can  only  be  measured  by  time.  Cer- 
tainly the  humane  policy  has  thus  far  worked  with  as 
much  success  as  might  reasonably  have  been  expected 
by  its  most  strenuous  advocates.  Peace  itself  is  not  alto- 
gether secured  by  voluntary  acts  in  any  condition  of  life; 
and  if  hitherto  unrestrained  tribes  of  Indians  are  made 
the  happy  subjects  of  peaceful  treatment,  there  must  nec- 
essarily be,  in  some  cases,  compulsion  to  begin  with,  if 
persuasion  fails.  All  society  is  built  to  its  highest  aims, 
through  the  arbitrary  operation  of  law.  Even  men,  as 
individuals,  can  restrain  themselves  only  by  the  exercise 
of  controlling  powers.  So  that  in  following  out  the  In- 
dian policy,  which  looks  to  the  location  of  tribes  upon 
suitable  reservations,  it  is  no  argument  against  the  pol- 
icy to  say  that  the  Indians  themselves  are  forced  to 
settlements  not  of  their  favorite  choice,  and  that  there- 
fore, the  Government,  while  proposing  peace,  is  forcing 
resistance.  It  should  be  remembered  that  Government, 
in  doing  this,  seeks  no  more  and  no  less  than  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  country,  as  it  does  in  all  its  legislative  work, 
and  that  what  may  seem  objectionable  to  certain  classes 
and  conditions  is,  after  all,  the  true  course  to  secure  the 
general  public  welfare  in  the  largest  possible  measure. 
In  this  whole  matter  of  solving  the  Indian  problem,  at 


566  DEATH  OF  GENERAL  CARSON. 

once  a  difficult  and  dangerous  one,  everything  has  been 
done  in  the  light  of  the  fullest  experience,  no  mean 
share  of  which  was  gathered  through  weary  years  of 
hardships  and  toil  by  such  courageous  men  as  Kit  Car- 
son, who  himself,  long  before  the  petition  of  Bishop 
Whipple  was  thought  of,  and  before  the  Sioux  massacre 
had  startled  public  attention,  gave  it  as  the  positive 
conviction  of  his  mind  that  the  true  remedy  for  the 
prevention  of  the  impoverishment  of  our  territories 
was  "to  compel  the  savages  to  form  settlements  by 
themselves." 

It  was  on  General  Carson's  return  from  the  mission 
with  the  Sioux,  and  while  he  was  yet  holding  the  office 
of  Indian  agent,  that  he  suddenly  died  at  Fort  Lynn, 
Colorado.  This  was  on  the  23d  of  May,  1868.  While  in 
the  army  he  suffered  a  serious  fall  by  his  horse  going 
over  a  precipice,  and  this  led  to  the  enlargement  of  an 
artery  near  the  heart,  which  suddenly  ruptured.  His 
health  had  not  been  the  best  for  several  months. 
Within  a  short  period  his  wife  had  died,  and  that  had  a 
visible  effect  upon  him,  breaking  down  to  a  great  de- 
gree his  strong  constitution  and  subjecting  him  to  ner- 
vous prostration.  He  was  devoted  to  his  wife,  and  her 
going  no  doubt  hastened  his  departure. 

General  Carson  was  a  man  of  singularly  striking  vir- 
tues, for  one  who  led  such  a  rough  kind  of  life.  His 
gentleness  of  heart  was  shown  in  his  love  for  his 
friends,  and  in  his  domestic  inclinations,  for  over  and 
above  all  desire  for  adventure,  he  loved  home.  He 
never  drank  liquor,  and  in  this  abstinence,  so  uncom- 
mon in  border  life,  is  one  of  his  characteristic  virtues — 
a  virtue  certainly  that  is  remarkably  exceptional  under 
all  the  circumstances. 


BELOVED    BY   ALL.  567 

He  was  a  great  Free  Mason,  and  dearly  loved  the  or- 
der. He  frequently  told  the  author  that  he  recognized 
among  the  Indians  masonic  signs.  He  was  buried  at 
Fort  Lynn,  where  he  died,  but  with  the  expectation 
that  the  Fraternity  some  day  would  take  his  remains 
to  the  masonic  grounds  at  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico. 

General  Carson  had  abundant  opportunities  to  acquire 
wealth,  even  great  wealth ;  but  he  seemed  to  care  little 
for  fortune  beyond  that  of  an  honest  name.  His  habits 
were  simple,  and  he  therefore  craved  no  more  than  he 
had;  he  was  too  scrupulous  to  seek  wealth  by  taking 
advantage  of  anybody ;  he  was  too  liberal,  if  he  had 
earned  much  money,  to  have  hoarded  it.  To  every 
man  who  seemed  honest  and  worthy  he  was  a  friend, 
and  displayed  his  friendship  in  practical  ways.  He 
died  comparatively  poor,  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
him. 


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